Full Moon Confessions
by Lothlome
Summary: Remus likes to avoid trouble if he can help it, which is why he's determined to stay away from Sirius' sister at all costs. Of course, being a Marauder involves a penchant for trouble and mischief that Remus just can't ignore. With pushes from the wolfish side of his nature, as well as the bumbling but well-meaning intervention of his best friends, temptation is hard to resist.
1. Chapter 1

**A/****N: So this is kind of an impulse publish. This story has been rotting on my hard drive for about... three years, at least? Anyway, Andromache is a character I used in one of my other stories, "Sensitive Side," and I actually planned to write a completely different story using her and a character named Hector (yes, the Iliad reference was intentional) that to this day, I have yet to actually set to paper. However, this short and sweet story emerged in the mean time, and I thought I'd bust it out for anyone interested in a Remus/OC.**

**All you need to know about Andromache is that she's Sirius' sister, which makes this story slightly AU. And Hector is just another 5th year boy, who happens to be involved in the Marauders' escapades. Just a heads up in case additions to canon like that are not your thing. Anyway, I think I've taken up enough of your time. On to the reading! Hope you enjoy - Lothlome**

Chapter 1

Remus Lupin trudged up the staircase leading from the fourth floor to the fifth. He rubbed his face tiredly and loosened his tie. He'd been trapped in a session of detention with McGonagall. As luck would have it, he was the only Marauder who'd been caught after one of their regular battles with the Slytherins. McGonagall had stared at him disapprovingly the whole time he'd been busy relabeling books, and he was sure she'd been wondering how he managed to get a prefect's badge. One more detention and he was sure it'd be revoked. Not even Dumbledore could justify giving him another chance.

He walked down the hallway, his eyes wandering around aimlessly as his feet fell in front of him in a familiar rhythm. He was so tired he was ready to camp out right there, but he still had a mountain of homework to do. He groaned and buried his eyes in his hand. It was going to be a long night. Just as he was rounding another corner, his attention was caught by Lily Evans and Andromache Black, locked in a heated battle with one another. Remus slowed his steps and kept his distance behind a pillar. He didn't want to get involved in another one of their rows.

"How can you say that? You don't even know them!" Andromache shouted, her face red with anger.

"I think I've spent enough time with those idiots to realize what horrible people they all are," Lily shot back acidly. Andromache shook her head angrily as her nostrils flared. It was obvious she was trying to keep most of her temper under control.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Andromache yelled. "Those are my friends you're talking about, and my brother too!" Lily shook her head condescendingly.

"I just don't understand how you can possibly bear to spend time with any of them. James is a complete prat. At least Peter is harmless, though a little dimwitted. But Sirius is an arrogant, pigheaded—"

"If you say another word about my brother I'm going to hex you into the fifth dimension," Andromache warned through gritted teeth. "You don't know him… you have no right!"

"You always say that about him, but when I make the same argument about Severus Snape…"

"I know Severus Snape," Andromache argued. "I've been surrounded by Slytherins my whole life."

"They're not all the same," Lily said matter-of-factly.

"I'll give them a break when you stop acting like such an unfair, condescending tart!" Remus could tell Andromache had signed her own death warrant with that comment, though he couldn't say he didn't think Lily deserved it.

"I'm going to the library," she announced, sticking her nose in the air as she turned on her heel. "Try to have your things cleared out by the time I get back to the dorm." Lily stormed off, her head still held high. Andromache shook her head and turned her back on the retreating Lily. She dropped her satchel to the ground and pressed her forehead against the wall in anguish. Remus decided it was time to make himself known.

"Rough day?" he asked with a wry smile, leaning his shoulder against the wall beside her hand. Her head snapped up, and she looked at Remus with wide eyes.

"Uh… yeah," she replied, her voice cracking with nervousness. Her brow furrowed as she tried to clear Lily's words out of her head. "What about you? Why are you out so late?"

"Detention," Remus said with a teasing look.

"Just you? Where's the rest of the gang?"

"Made it out alive," Remus replied scathingly. "I swear, I'm going to kill Sirius for tripping me." Andromache cracked a smile and a small laugh escaped her lips, but she still couldn't muster up enough cheerfulness to shake off her argument with Lily. It wasn't their worst, but it still left Andromache feeling sick to her stomach. It was so hard to be trapped in the middle sometimes. Remus looked at her searchingly as she once again turned her face down to the floor.

"I… heard your fight with Lily," Remus admitted, knowing there was no point in hiding it anymore. Besides, Andromache looked as though she could use some comforting. Andromache's eyes locked with his again, and she shook her head with an ironic smile as she turned her eyes toward the ceiling.

"I guess it was only a matter of time before someone besides Hector witnessed the crossfire," Andromache stated, trying to pass the situation off lightly.

"I didn't realize she was so…" Remus trailed off, not knowing how to finish the sentence without cursing.

"Bitchy?" Andromache filled in for him. A smirk tugged at the corner of Remus' mouth, but he made sure not to agree. Andromache and Lily would reconcile eventually, and he didn't want to be on the record saying Lily was a bitch.

"She was saying some pretty horrible things. Why didn't you tell me she was so harsh?" Remus asked seriously.

"What for? It was just going to blow over anyway," Andromache reasoned. "Besides, Lily doesn't mean to sound as harsh as she comes across. But one mention of James and she sort of flies off the handle."

"I'm just thankful my name wasn't mentioned in the list," Remus said light-heartedly. To be honest, he was curious about what Lily had against him. She always treated him pleasantly when they worked together during class.

"It never is," Andromache assured him, but Remus gave her a knowing look. "Really, she only has nice things to say about you. You're not a prat like Sirius and James," she said with a derisive scoff. Remus looked at her sympathetically, and before he could psyche himself out of it, he placed a hand on her shoulder. Though he was trying to be comforting, he couldn't ignore the fact that touching Andromache caused the pit of his stomach to fire up like a hearth. His fingers seemed to curl around her arm in slow motion, and he bit back the urge to lick his lips.

"So… you'll be bunking with us then?" Remus choked out, he was thankful he was still able to talk.

"Looks like it," she said, shaking her head in agreement. "For a couple days probably."

"Great," Remus said, hoping he didn't sound as excited as he actually felt, "Hector and I could use the reinforcements." Andromache smiled knowingly and rolled her eyes in good-nature.

"It's going to be a long week."

Andromache and Remus entered the fifth year boys' dormitory, both talking and laughing about Sirius' failed prank during Binns' class that afternoon.

"His royal prefectness has returned!" Sirius exclaimed, bowing down in front of Remus dramatically.

"All hail King Moony!" James called in the background. Remus rolled his eyes as he crossed over to his four-poster and pulled off his robe and vest.

"So… how was detention?" Sirius asked teasingly.

"Excruciating," Remus sighed, sinking down onto his bed.

"Well, you only have three more days left," James reasoned. "After that you're a free man."

"I'm sure you'll manage to get me into more trouble somehow," Remus told him with a sigh. James looked at Sirius with an affirmative nod.

"He has a point." Sirius laughed.

"So, 'Dromache, my darling sister, what brings you to our corner of the world?" Sirius asked, acknowledging her presence for the first time. Andromache looked at him with an awkward smile, trying her hardest to shield her overnight bag with her satchel.

"Just wanted to see you," she replied sweetly, and Remus stifled a laugh. James smirked and looked over at Hector and Sirius out of the corner of his eyes.

"So what's the real reason you're here?" Sirius asked, cocking an eyebrow and crossing his arms over his chest. Andromache bit her lip as her shoulders drooped.

"Fine… Lily and I had a row, can I bunk here for a few days?" she begged, looking at him with round eyes. Sirius rolled his eyes in good-nature.

"Of course you can," he told her, wrapping her in a one-armed hug.

"I hope I'm not putting you guys out," she said, looking at the other Gryffindors apprehensively. She was met with a chorus of refutes to her comment and beckons to stay with them as long as she wanted.

"At the rate you and Lily are going, you might as well move in," Hector laughed.

"Somehow, I don't think McGonagall would approve of that," Andromache replied.

"You can bunk with me if you want," James offered, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I don't think so," Andromache responded, a tart smile stretching her lips.

"Oh come on, why not? Unlike Padfoot, I don't snore," he said, trying to tantalize her. Andromache rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"No way! No sister of mine is spending the night with you, Prongs," Sirius shot back seriously. "I'll be keeping guard all night, so don't even get any ideas—same goes for you Moony." Remus' brow furrowed in confusion and his whole body went rigid.

"What the hell does that mean?" he demanded, but the others ignored his question. Sirius and James had fallen into a raucous discussion about their attractiveness, leaving Remus to mull over Sirius' comment for the rest of the night.

About twenty minutes later, Remus was left alone in the dormitory, busily working away at his Ancient Runes practice set. Sirius and the others had wandered down to the kitchen in search for snacks, and Andromache had taken the opportunity to get a shower in before James returned. Remus couldn't say he blamed Sirius for keeping a watchful eye on his best friend; James had already tried to sneak a peek at Andromache twice now. Much to Sirius', and Remus found his own, annoyance.

Remus was actually glad to get some peace and quiet. The Marauders always managed to distract him from getting his homework completed, and then he was forced to take refuge in the common room or the library. He was hoping to get enough work done so that he wouldn't have to worry about any interruptions. He tried his best to force his way through his practice problems, but his mind frequently drifted back to Sirius' comment about getting ideas about 'Dromache. He didn't understand it. He'd never given any indication that he thought of Andromache in any way besides friendship.

Suddenly, the bathroom door creaked open, tearing Remus from his confused thoughts. A cloud of steam escaped into the room, followed soon after by Andromache Black, rubbing the water out of her hair with a towel. Remus' eyes flicked over to her immediately, scanning her up and down instinctively. He immediately felt his face flush as he realized what he was doing, but he reasoned that she practically was begging for him to look. She wore black pajama bottoms, and a tight black tank top to match. Remus was just glad her eyes were closed. He watched her drop the towel down onto a nearby chair and arch her back as she tried to stretch out her torso. His Ancient Runes book slipped out off his hands and went crashing to the floor. He jumped at the sound, which also managed to startle Andromache.

"I didn't know you were still here," Andromache said smiling. Remus just nodded as he felt his face being engulfed by flames. "Didn't you want to go to the kitchen to get a snack?"

"Uh… no, I have a lot of homework to finish," Remus replied, still trying to recover. He rustled through some papers and picked out his Runes homework, just as Andromache snatched up his book for him.

"Oh, I finished this homework already," she stated, sitting across from him on the bed. She grabbed his homework sheet and an extra quill, and before he could protest she started copying down answers in a close copy of his handwriting.

"I really don't think—"

"Don't worry," she assured him, waving him off, "Professor Charon won't even notice."

"Well… I do have a lot of Arithmancy to do…" he said, slowly falling in line with Andromache's plan. He picked his Arithmancy book out of the mess and pulled out a fresh sheaf of parchment. "It couldn't hurt… just this once, and as long as no one finds out…"

"You trying to seduce me, Moony?" Andromache teased, arching an eyebrow at him playfully.

"What?" he demanded, his voice cracking nervously.

"I'm just kidding," she chuckled, giving him a shove. "I know you're going out with… Selene, right?" Remus was tempted to say 'who,' but he caught himself at the last second. Andromache's presence always managed to make him forget he was in a relationship, ever since he'd started dating.

"Yes," he said, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth, "but I… I don't think it's going to last much longer."

"Why not?" Andromache asked, cocking her head to one side. Remus cleared his throat and put his quill aside.

"Nothing major, just small reasons," he replied. Andromache looked at him disparagingly.

"Remus…" she said softly. She had a feeling she knew why things were about to end with Remus and his latest girlfriend. It wasn't that she wanted Remus to stay with Selene, quite the contrary, but she didn't want him to end his relationship for the wrong reasons, which he usually did. Even though he was being chastised, the tone of her voice still sent a tingling down his spine.

"It's not what you think," he reasoned, his voice also dropping in pitch. Andromache's skin began to flush uncomfortably, for reasons she didn't understand. She edged closer to him, leaning in as if they were talking in the library.

"Don't lie to me," she warned him. "I know your patterns, the full moon's just around the corner and you're—"

"Andromache, that's not the only reason why I want to break things off," he replied. His eyelids felt heavy, but not in a way that made him feel tired. He leaned in closer and once again found that he had more nerve than he'd imagined. His hand reached out and he brushed his fingertips against her smooth skin, but from there he wasn't sure where his hand wanted to go. He did have a few options.

"What is it then?" she asked, her voice catching in her throat. The whole situation felt strange, but in the most satisfying way Andromache had ever experienced. Her wet hair had been keeping her cool, but suddenly she felt as if there wasn't enough air in the world to keep her from getting heat stroke. Remus said nothing, but just looked her in the eye intently. Andromache felt the need to do something, just sitting there staring at each other while Remus' hand trailed up and down her arm made her feel as if her stomach was being torn in half. She couldn't even remember what they'd been talking about in the first place.

"She's not… she's not…" He couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence the way he wanted. His body might be reacting on its own, but his mind still retained some of its reason. _"She's not you,"_ he thought, terrified that he could suddenly admit that to himself. "Forget it," he whispered, his hand finally deciding to trail up her arm and across her neck to wrap around the base of her head. He pulled her toward him, still barely conscious of what he was doing. It wasn't something he'd thought over, but it felt so right. Andromache placed her hand against his chest in an attempt to keep the space between them, but her arm melted like butter and ended up sliding down his shirt front and landing on the bed beside his hip.

"Remus we…" she trailed off, now that they were so close she didn't want to stop him. It had taken Remus years to build up the courage to get to this moment, one word from her and it might all go away. They could always hammer out the details later.

The moment was shattered into a million pieces as the door to the dormitory swung open and smacked the wall loudly. Remus and Andromache broke apart as if they'd been seared. The other Marauders' entrance had shocked Remus back into his logical mind. He suddenly remembered everything. He was Remus Lupin, werewolf, dating Selene Larson and fighting feelings for Sirius Black's sister.

"Are we interrupting something?" James asked, sobering up from his rowdy behavior and standing with his hand still on the doorknob. He looked between Remus and Andromache, who were both now rustling papers and getting back to work. Remus' face was burning red, and though she didn't blush, Andromache's chest and shoulders were practically on fire.

"Bring anything back for me?" Andromache asked, glancing up from Remus' Ancient Runes book as if she'd been busy copying down translations the entire time the other Marauders had been gone.

"Giant chocolate cookie with that gooey stuff in the middle!" Sirius exclaimed, bounding in and placing the treat in his sister's hand.

"Excellent," she complimented. Sirius grinned and sat beside her, looking at her with all the affection of an obedient puppy. Remus glanced up from his Arithmancy and watched the siblings talking together pleasantly. The relief washed over him like a calming wave. He couldn't even imagine what would have happened if he'd actually kissed Andromache. He didn't even know what had come over him. It was like someone had put him under the Imperious Curse. He never in his right mind would have considered doing something that rash. Besides, he was dating Selene—he wasn't a complete cad like Sirius and James.

"Finished your Runes, Moony," she announced, handing him the sheet of parchment. She gave him a wink as he took the paper; it was almost as if their moment alone hadn't even happened. And he wasn't sure how to feel about that. He nodded in thanks, his voice lost.

After scarfing down the food Sirius had smuggled up, the five boys and Andromache decided it was time to call it a night. Even Remus, who hadn't even finished all his homework, was exhausted beyond measure. Most everyone fell asleep rather quickly, except for Andromache, who was lying in bed beside the snoring Sirius, unable to fall asleep. And not just because Sirius was snoring like a buzz saw. She played with the blanket up by her chest, staring at the dark ceiling deep in thought. She couldn't believe what had almost happened. She was sure if James hadn't burst into the room like a lunatic Remus would have kissed her. Granted, there would have been complications if he had, but once he kissed her he wouldn't be able to weasel his way out of it like he always did when things got serious between them. Even though the evening had ended in disappointment, she was glad to finally have undeniable proof that Remus Lupin returned her feelings.

Still, the incident was plaguing her mind. She wished she and Lily hadn't gotten into a fight, she could use some advice. Then again, she'd never mentioned her crush on Remus. Actually, considering Lily was her best friend, there were quite a few things Andromache hadn't shared with her. It was nice to think that she could at least strike one secret off the ever expanding list.

_"Well, once this fight blows over,"_ she reminded herself. Sirius let out a loud snort beside her, causing Andromache to jump in surprise. She rolled her eyes and pushed her brother onto his side, and immediately his snoring ceased. She shook her head and her eyes slowly drifted to a close. She needed to come up with a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Andromache groaned as she poured herself a large cup of coffee. Trying to sleep the previous night had been about as difficult as running a marathon. She took a long drink from her mug and closed her eyes as the caffeine slid down her throat. She hoped it would kick in soon.

"You look like hell," Sirius said as he and James sat across from her at the table. She glared at him through puckered eyes.

"I hate you," she muttered, hovering over her coffee in complete exhaustion. James and Sirius laughed merrily.

"What else is new?" Sirius teased.

"Could you snore any louder?" she demanded of him as he passed her a plate littered with different types of bagels. "I need sugar, Sirius." He nodded and handed her a plate of doughnuts instead.

"Look, I'm sorry about the snoring, but would you rather have spent the night in the Quidditch locker room?" Sirius said pointedly.

"True," Andromache agreed as she tore into a Boston cream.

"Think Evans is going to let you back into the dormitory tonight?" James asked as he ladled himself some scrambled eggs. Andromache snorted and poured herself another cup of coffee.

"Translated: Yeah right," Sirius informed James. The latter chuckled and ate a slice of bacon.

"Wow 'Dromache, you look like shite," Peter observed as he and Remus walked up to the table and took their seats. Andromache rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag.

"I'm going to go have breakfast with Hector," she announced, just as Remus back handed Wormtail in the arm.

"Nice going Wormtail," James shot at him. Peter looked at his friends in shock.

"What did I do?" he demanded defensively.

"You know, this is why you're frequently dateless," Sirius responded. Peter just glared at him and took a bite out of a piece of toast. Remus shook his head and grabbed a newspaper from the adjacent seat. Just as he was scanning the headlines, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder. He glanced up, only to be greeted with Selene's beaming smile.

"Hey handsome," she said, kissing Remus lightly on the lips. The other three Marauders exchanged looks and perverted smiles. Sirius whistled and gave Remus a wink. The prefect rolled his eyes and focused on his girlfriend.

"What's going on Selene?" he inquired.

"I was just wondering if we were still on tonight," she said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"I'm sorry, I'm covering for Jared on hallway duty this evening," Remus replied through a sip of orange juice. Selene looked at him in disappointment.

"Oh, so there's not even a chance of meeting up later in the night?" she pressed. Remus shook his head emphatically.

"'Fraid not," he told her with a crooked smile. Selene nodded understandingly.

"Well, I'll see you later," she said quietly. She let her hand trail over his shoulders as she walked away, but Remus had already turned his attention back to his copy of the _Daily Prophet_. Sirius and James furrowed their brows at him and exchanged appalled looks before staring at Remus in disbelief.

"What the hell was that?" James demanded in shock. Remus glanced up from the paper distractedly.

"What was what?" he asked. He caught sight of a jelly doughnut and grabbed it before Peter could get his hands on it.

"She was practically begging you to have your way with her in the fourth floor broom cupboard!" Sirius shouted at him.

"Padfoot…" Remus began wearily.

"Don't 'Padfoot' me," Sirius shot back. "I want an explanation."

"Explanation to what?" Remus said in annoyance.

"Why you've been breaking off plans with Selene for the last few days." Remus rolled his eyes and set his newspaper aside. With Sirius pestering him he'd never be able to get past the front page.

"No I haven't," Remus returned, "and even if I _was_ breaking off plans with her, what do you care?"

"Well, it concerns us for a few reasons," James began matter-of-factly. Remus sighed and tried to ignore Wormtail giggling beside him.

"Number one, it makes us question whether or not you really like girls at all," Sirius stated, and now Wormtail was shaking with all out guffaws. Remus felt the blood rush to his head.

"Do you hear yourself?" he demanded through gritted teeth.

"All right, we know you like girls," James chuckled as Sirius succumbed to a giggle fit. "But we do think that this cooling off with Selene may have something to do with your furry little problem," James said pointedly.

"Why can't I want to break up with a girl without everyone thinking it's because I'm a you-know-what?" Remus said irritably.

"So you do want to chuck her then?" Peter verified.

"Why? She's hot," James said. Remus rolled his eyes.

"It's really more of a compatibility thing, Prongs," Remus explained. "I'm sure you know all about that." James narrowed his eyes at him, sipping his juice in a hostile manner. Remus smirked and reached for his newspaper, but Sirius snatched it before he could lay a finger on it.

"It's not a compatibility thing," he argued. "The full moon is next week, and you can barely make a relationship last longer than that."

"That's not true," Remus shot back defensively, but deep down he knew Sirius was making a point. "I've been going out with Selene for three months now."

"True, this one has lasted longer than your usual," Peter agreed.

"That's why we can tell you're doing this for the wrong reasons," James pointed out. "We know you really like her." Remus shook his head, but didn't respond. If he liked Selene so much then why had he almost kissed Andromache the previous night? Just as his thoughts drifted toward her, the lady of the hour approached the Marauders, looking much perkier than she had a few minutes before.

"I think I left my Transfiguration book over here," she said, craning over the heads of Remus and Peter to scan the table. "Anyone seen it?" Sirius shook his head as James checked the table, and Peter and Remus took a peak underneath their seats.

"Oh! Here it is!" Remus exclaimed, resurfacing from underneath the table.

"Thanks Moony, you're a life saver," she said in relief. "Listen, you think you could help me with our D.A.D.A. essay that's due Friday? It's been a nightmare."

"Well… I do have to cover hallway duty tonight," Remus told her. Andromache sighed and bit her lip in disappointment. She ran her index finger over the lip of the book as she searched for a solution. Remus tried not to notice.

"What about after that? If you're busy with homework we could make a tradeoff like last night," Andromache offered.

"Er… well, I guess I could help you after my shift," Remus said decidedly. "Meet me up in the dormitory at say, ten o'clock?"

"Great," Andromache said happily, "I promise it won't take too long. You're the best Moony!" She winked at him with a coquettish smile and headed off. Remus forced down a smile and swung around on the bench to face the table.

"What the hell was that?" Sirius demanded, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"What the hell was what?" Remus shot back, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.

"You can't spare an hour to snog your girlfriend, but you're willing to help 'Dromache do homework?" Sirius said suspiciously.

"What? I'm helping her _after_ I get off my shift," Remus reasoned. "Selene is in Ravenclaw, I can't meet her after curfew. And, in case you've forgotten, 'Dromache is our roommate for the time being."

"So? You're a prefect, and a Marauder, if anyone could get away with staying out past curfew it's you," James reasoned. "I don't get you, mate."

"You wouldn't James," Remus sighed, hiding himself behind the newspaper. James looked between Sirius and Peter with a confused look. Peter returned his gaze with the same expression, but Sirius was staring at the back of the _Daily Prophet_ intently, almost as if he could see right through it.

* * *

That afternoon Andromache hurried into the fifth year girls' dormitory to grab some of her things. She assumed Lily would be busy at the library, so she was surprised when Lily appeared from the bathroom.

"I'm just getting some stuff from my trunk," Andromache told her, being careful not to sound too haughty, yet at the same time trying not to sound too pleasant either.

"Oh," Lily said simply, and Andromache noticed she didn't seem angry, as she expected.

"Yeah, I won't be long." Andromache continued pulling things out of her trunk in silence, and then suddenly she heard Lily's voice.

"Andromache, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, side-swiping her friend with a hug. "You were right, I was totally out of line last night. No matter how I feel about Sirius and James, they're your friends and I have no right to say anything about them."

"It's all right, I know you were just upset," Andromache said soothingly, as she separated herself from Lily. "We both said things we didn't mean." Lily nodded in agreement and smiled.

"I just hate it when we fight."

"Me too," Andromache agreed. It felt as if a great weight had been lifted from Andromache's chest as they reconciled. She'd missed Lily, and now she could finally ask for that advice she had been longing for the previous night. "Listen, can I talk to you for a minute?" she asked apprehensively. Lily looked at her friend with a furrowed brow, but nodded in agreement.

"Sure, is something wrong?" Lily asked as they took a seat at the edge of her bed.

"Not exactly," Andromache said, looking down at her hands nervously. "It's about something that happened last night." Lily nodded, urging Andromache to continue.

"So…?" Lily pressed, waving Andromache on as she'd been silent for the past few seconds.

"Remus almost kissed me last night," Andromache said in a low voice, and Lily's eyes widened in surprise as her eyebrows hit the ceiling.

"He what?" she whispered. "Are you sure?" Andromache looked at her with a pointed eyebrow raise. "Sorry, I'm just surprised."

"So was I," Andromache said, searching Lily's face for an indication of what she was thinking. Though at the moment, all she could sense was utter bewilderment.

"Well… did you want him to?" Lily asked, curious to know how Andromache felt about being put in a situation like that. Remus was one of Sirius' best friends, and getting into a romantic entanglement with a friend of her brother's had to be awkward.

"More than anything," Andromache replied with an emphatic head nod. Lily's head jumped back in surprise.

"Are you serious?" she asked, a smirk curling one side of her mouth. "I didn't know you fancied Remus, why didn't you say anything before?"

"It was a complicated situation," Andromache sighed. Lily nodded understandingly.

"So… why was it an almost-kiss instead of a real one?"

"Sirius and the others walked in," Andromache said, irritation wending its way through her tone.

"I take it you weren't pleased," Lily said sarcastically. Andromache rolled her eyes. "Did they notice anything?"

"Well, I think James might have seen something, but Remus and I were pretty quick at getting things back to normal," Andromache explained.

"And have you talked about it since?"

"Part of getting things back to normal involved not mentioning the incident," Andromache said, trying not to sound too embittered.

"So, that's it? You're just both going to forget it ever happened?" Lily demanded.

"I can't say anything. It'll just mortify Remus," Andromache said wearily. "Besides, with Sirius in the picture…" Andromache trailed off as Lily knew the problem she was referring to.

"Well, what are you going to do?" Lily asked curiously. To her, it seemed as though Andromache was out of options.

"I do have an idea," Andromache admitted, looking at Lily mischievously.

"Which is?" Lily cocked an eyebrow. Andromache's plans were always interesting, to say the least, whether or not they were functional was a different story.

"Well, I'm supposed to meet Remus later tonight to get some help on D.A.D.A. homework," Andromache began. "I was thinking maybe I could recreate the atmosphere from last night."

"How're you supposed to do that?" Lily asked pointedly.

"I'm still working on it," Andromache said. "But he does think I'm spending the night with the Marauders again." Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Where are you going with this?"

"Well… maybe you and I could pretend to still be in a fight," Andromache suggested. Lily opened her mouth to protest, but Andromache pressed on before she could get a word in. "It'll only be for a couple more days. I know I can figure out a way to get Remus to admit he has feelings for me."

"Are you serious about this? I mean, you're both in relationships right now." Andromache bit her lip. In all the excitement, she'd forgotten about Dave Welling, her current boyfriend. He was nice enough, and gorgeous as could be, but Andromache had been pining after Remus since their third year. If she had a chance to finally get him, she wasn't going to give it up.

"It's not like we're married," Andromache replied, but she could tell Lily disapproved. "And Remus told me yesterday he was thinking of ending things with Selene."

"It doesn't seem right," Lily argued, shaking her head. Andromache exhaled disparagingly and hung her head. Lily looked at her friend, and felt sympathy starting to take hold of her. She didn't condone playing with people's hearts, but Andromache seemed absolutely desperate to find out Remus' true feelings.

"All right," Lily agreed with a mockingly weary tone. Andromache's head shot up and her face lit up with a smile. "I'll help you, but you have to promise not to draw it out."

"You won't regret this Lily, I swear!" Andromache promised her enthusiastically. "I love it when we put our diabolical minds together." Lily rolled her eyes.

"You're the only diabolical one I see, but whatever helps you sleep at night," Lily told her with a wry smile.

* * *

"Something's going on with Moony, I know it," Sirius said frantically as he paced the dorm room.

"I seriously think you're overreacting Padfoot," James said distractedly. He was busy perusing the latest Playwizard magazine, and at the moment didn't find Sirius' concerns all that distressing. He cocked his head to the side to examine the model on page twenty-three and let Sirius' words pass through one ear and out the other.

"He always does this to himself," Sirius continued, gesturing emphatically. "He likes a girl, but the minute the full moon rolls around he's heading for the hills. It's not right. I mean, it's not like he's like us, at least then I could understand his pattern."

"What more can you do?" James reasoned, bringing the magazine closer to his face. "We've already told him how we feel, and he got defensive. We just have to let him live his life."

"We're his friends. Part of our job is to help him realize he's acting like a complete prat," Sirius said in protest.

"Would you just drop it?" James shot at him. "It's absolutely none of your… none of your…" James trailed off as he grew distracted by page twenty-five. Sirius glanced up and saw James salivating over his magazine. He rolled his eyes and snatched the reading material out of his hands.

"Give me that!" he ordered, tossing the magazine into the corner of the room. James looked up at him mutinously, but sat up and listened to Sirius' tirade anyway. "And what was that thing with Andromache this morning?" he added in annoyance. James' face brightened at this comment, finally they were getting to a topic that he was interested in.

"Yeah, that was pretty strange," he agreed. "Moony must really love D.A.D.A. homework." Sirius' grey eyes flicked to James and the two best friends stared at each other knowingly.

"You think he fancies her?" Sirius asked warily. James snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Of course he does Padfoot, where were you when we all discussed this?" James said sardonically.

"That's not what I meant," Sirius said impatiently. "I mean, do you think _he's_ finally realized he fancies her?"

"I suppose it's possible," James said with a shrug. He pulled himself closer to the edge of the bed and swung his legs over the side. "It was only a matter of time before Moony grew a pair."

"I guess," Sirius agreed, sounding put out yet at the same time intrigued by the situation. "Don't you think it's strange that Moony always seems to get flustered around 'Dromache when the full moon is coming up?"

"Never noticed," James replied simply. He leaned back over his bed in an attempt to find the magazine Sirius had stolen from him. Sirius shook his finger at no one in particular and picked up his pacing once again.

"No, that's true," he agreed with himself. "I was just frustrated, but maybe I have a point."

"Of course you do, Padfoot," James said, repositioning himself as he now had the magazine back in his clutches.

"Yes, that's it!" Sirius exclaimed, pounding his fist into his hand triumphantly. "We finally have a lead. Now all we need to do is investigate."

"You tell 'em Padfoot," James said in a monotone.

"I'm on the case," Sirius said emphatically. "Are you with me Prongs?"

"Not really."

"That'll work."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

At dinner Lily and Andromache decided to convene in the library. Seeing as they were still pretending to be fighting, they couldn't afford for any of the Marauders or Hector to see them getting along. In a secluded table in the corner they laid out a battle plan. Lily agreed to give Andromache that night and the following one before she blew the whistle and called the game over. In the meantime, Andromache was to do her best to figure out what was going on between herself and Remus.

Andromache was now sitting in the boys' dormitory, struggling through another insufferable Divination assignment. She had the place to herself, thankfully, and was dividing her attention between counting down the minutes to Remus' arrival and measuring the angle between Mars and Venus on her map.

At ten on the nose the dormitory door opened slowly and Remus stepped inside, looking haggard. Andromache glanced up happily, but at the sight of Remus' appearance her excitement was replaced by genuine concern. As she'd told him, the full moon was just around the corner, and with each passing day he was growing weaker. She'd forgotten to factor that into her equation.

"Moony, are you all right?" she asked in concern, jumping up from the floor.

"I'm fine," he assured her, waving her back. Andromache approached despite his protests.

"Liar," she said softly with a half-smile. She placed a hand on his shoulder and took a good look at him. He was paler than usual, which only made the two diagonal scars on his face even more pronounced. He was blinking tiredly, as if he could barely stay awake, let alone stand. "You're exhausted," she stated, taking a step back.

"Andromache, would you stop? I'm fine," he repeated with a small chuckle. "I promised I'd help you with that essay. Now then… where did I leave my book?" He headed over to his trunk and started digging around for his D.A.D.A. supplies. The air was starting to constrict in his lungs, so Remus leaned against the trunk's side for support. He tried to make it seem as inconspicuous as possible, but Andromache was too observant to let something like that go.

"Stop," she said with a small laugh, "you don't have to put on a brave face for me Moony, I'm not Padfoot." Remus smiled at her, trying to push past the pain. Andromache grabbed his upper arm and led him over to his bed.

"Trust me, the last thing I'm trying to be is brave," he said heavily. Andromache helped him out of his robe, and Remus lowered himself into the seductive comfort of the cushy mattress and pillows of his bed. He moaned in relief as his head collided with the pillow. It felt so nice to lie down. He felt the bed sink beside his hip and assumed Andromache had taken a seat beside him. He exhaled slowly until all the air had been released from his lungs. Suddenly, he felt his collar starting to loosen, causing his stomach to lurch uncomfortably. He opened his eyes and saw that Andromache was undoing his tie.

"What are you doing?" he asked, struggling to sit up. Andromache pushed him back down and continued what she was doing. A nervous chuckle escaped his lips and he could feel the tell-tale blush creeping its way down to places he didn't even know could turn red. Andromache managed to finally undo his tie and pulled the piece of fabric from around his neck. The feel of the fabric rushing against his skin seemed oddly sensual for some reason. "What are you doing?" Remus demanded once again, catching Andromache's hand as her fingers went for the first few buttons on his collar. She sighed and pretended to be thinking over her response.

"Let's see… I could go with a response that would make Sirius proud, or…" Remus nodded his head and rolled his eyes.

"All right, I get the point," he told her. Andromache snickered and hit him playfully.

"Honestly," she said. "Listen, I think we should just forgo the essay writing tonight," she suggested. Remus sat up at this, a genuinely disappointed look on his face.

"But I promised you I would help," he argued. "I swear, just give me a minute and I'll be fine."

"Remus, if you don't stop—" she began warningly, though there wasn't much intimidation in her tone. "Just lie down."

"But—" Andromache pressed him back into the bed forcefully, jarring him into silence.

"You can always help me tomorrow," she said in a placating manner. "Unless you have plans of course," she added hurriedly. Remus smirked as his eyes closed lazily.

"Don't worry, I can always dodge Selene," he said sleepily. Andromache cocked an eyebrow at him and bit the inside of her cheek disapprovingly. "Stop looking at me like that," Remus said, without even opening his eyes. Andromache rolled her eyes and inhaled deeply. She changed her expression and leaned more heavily against the arm that was resting on the opposite side of Remus' legs. "I know you think I'm being ridiculous."

"That's because you are," Andromache said pointedly. Remus laughed wryly and sat up, suddenly feeling more alert.

"Oh really?" he said, looking at her with a crooked grin. "I'm being ridiculous?"

"Yes," Andromache said with a firm head nod. Remus shook his head and continued to look at her with a perceiving smirk. Andromache almost felt the need to hug her robe closer to her. Remus' gaze felt as if it could pierce through solid objects.

"And when was the last time you and Mr. Welling spent an evening together?" he countered, completely throwing Andromache for a loop.

"Well, I—it's harder to schedule things, you know," she sputtered, and her unease caused an even more amused smirk to spread Moony's lips. "He's a seventh year, it's not like I see him in class."

"Of course," Remus said patronizingly.

"Don't humor me," she warned with narrowed eyes.

"I wouldn't dare," he teased. Andromache pretended to laugh along with his stifled chuckles.

"Don't make me hurt you wolf-boy," she told him. "I bite, you know."

"So do I," Remus shot back with a cocky grin. Andromache laughed and gave him an impressed look. "Seriously, when was the last time you and Dave saw each other?"

"It's been… a week or so," Andromache muttered. So far, their conversation wasn't taking the direction she'd planned.

"And you're pestering me about mistreating my girlfriend?" he said, feeling much better than he had when he walked in. He stood up and fished his pajamas out of his trunk and headed toward the bathroom. "At least I saw her this morning."

"Fine, maybe I have no room to talk, but I still don't think you should deprive yourself of a good snog just to help me with homework." It killed her to say something like that, but she couldn't just let Remus give up a good relationship while she struggled to get the courage to tell him how she felt. To her surprise, the smile slid right off Remus' face at her comment. He dropped his pajamas down on a chair and even his body seemed to be drooping. Andromache bit her lip. Obviously, her comment had not been appreciated.

"Are you Andromache or Sirius?" he said, but despite his other statements, this one didn't bear any resemblance to a joke. He passed a hand over his eyes and exhaled wearily.

"Remus, I'm sorry," Andromache said, wishing her mouth filter hadn't failed her in that instant. Still, she didn't see why that comment had touched a nerve. "I didn't mean to sound like Padfoot. I was just kidding."

"I know you were," Remus said tiredly. He rubbed his eyes and leaned against the bathroom door. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. I—" Andromache smiled understandingly and walked toward him. She pressed her hand over his mouth, causing his face to flush and a fire immediately sprung up in the pit of his stomach. Andromache brought her hand away from his face, but the feelings still remained.

"Andromache…" he said gruffly, grabbing her by the arms and leaning down to finally rid himself of years of frustrated lust.

"Remus, what are you doing?" she asked softly, her hands trailed up his chest and one rested on his shoulder while the other one ran through his hair.

"I don't know," he replied, pushing her backwards as he walked back toward his four-poster. "Don't think about it."

"But what about—"

"Shut up!" he said hoarsely, and then he pressed his mouth against hers before she could make him think about anything. She entwined her fingers in his hair and held him tightly against her, at the same time trying to shake off her outer robe. Remus had kissed her so forcefully that she'd tripped over the hem, and the last thing she wanted was to trip and fall. She wished he could have decided to do this when she was dressed in something other than her school uniform, even her pajamas were a better alternative. Once again, Remus came to her rescue and managed to help her out of the mass of fabric.

"Thanks," she said heavily, tearing her lips away from his only long enough to say that one word.

"Don't take this the wrong way," he panted, "but it wasn't for your benefit." She pulled him toward her by the collar and he placed one hand on the small of her back and the other one he tangled in her black curls. Their kiss was supposed to cure Remus of that all consuming fire that flared up in him every time Andromache was near him. Yet it all it managed to accomplish was make his entire body ache as random parts of his skin burned under Andromache's fingertips.

"Sirius is going to kill me for this," Remus said as Andromache's lips trailed across his jaw line. "If he comes in here he's going to… going to…" His voice died in his throat as Andromache's lips hit the spot on his neck just below his jawbone. His eyes rolled back in his head as a giddy smile appeared on his face. Somehow Remus managed to lead Andromache back to his mouth. He wished he'd decided to attack her when she was wearing something other than her school uniform, but he wasn't about to complain.

"What time is it?" Andromache asked, pushing Remus away from her for the first time since he'd kissed her. Remus cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What?" he demanded breathlessly.

"Sirius said he'd be back at midnight," she said in response to his confused (albeit frustrated) stares. He sighed and looked down at his watch.

"It's eleven," he replied.

"That gives us a good hour," Andromache told him with a coquettish smile.

"All right, let me change," Remus said, heading over to the bathroom and snatching up his pajamas along the way.

"Oh! Me too," Andromache said as she pulled her own pajamas out of her duffle bag.

"Ladies first," Remus said, gesturing toward the bathroom door. Andromache smiled at him as she made her way across the room.

"So you still are a gentleman?" she teased. "What are the odds?" She closed the bathroom door behind her, and a few minutes later reemerged in her pajamas. Remus jumped up next, anxious to change and then come back to Andromache. She plopped down on the edge of Remus' four-poster.

"I'll be back," he told her, taking her hand and running his thumb over her knuckles.

"I know," she said quietly, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"Just stay there," he said softly.

"You think I'd leave?" she teased, arching an eyebrow at him. Remus' arm went limp and he leaned down to kiss her softly. This kiss was almost the complete opposite of the one which had startled Andromache into nearly ripping the hem off her robes. It was slow, gentle and thoughtful—just the sort of kiss Andromache always pictured Remus being a master at. He placed a hand on the back of her head and gradually felt himself leaning further down toward Andromache.

There was a scraping sound against the door, which startled both of them away from each other. Andromache wanted to kill Sirius and James for waltzing into the room like warriors back from the hunt. She looked toward Remus, but the bathroom door was already closing shut behind him. Andromache felt like vomiting.

"Hey sis, what've you been up to?" Sirius asked cheerfully. She couldn't be mad at him because he didn't even realize that he'd shattered the most perfect moment of her life.

"Nothing," she said tightly,. "just hanging out with… Remus!" she exclaimed as he exited the bathroom, now wearing his pajamas. James and Sirius turned around to look at him with smiles.

"So… I take it the essay writing went well?" James asked conversationally.

"Yes, yes it did," he said curtly, throwing his uniform into his trunk. He glanced up at Andromache and they stared at each other, both trying to convey their feelings in one gaze. "But, if you'll excuse me I'm rather tired. I think I'll just turn in." Remus began to pull the curtains to his four-poster closed.

"Night Moony!" Sirius called cheerfully.

"Goodnight," he said, looking only at Andromache as he closed the last curtain to his bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next morning Lily hurried out of Gryffindor tower to meet Andromache in the library. She was anxious to hear how things had turned out for her friend, and what their next course of action was going to be. When she entered the library she found Andromache sitting at the table in the most hidden corner of the room.

"So… how'd it go?" Lily asked excitedly as she slid into the seat across from Andromache. The raven haired girl looked down at her hands, which were wringing each other nervously.

"Er… it was… interesting," she said finally. The smile slid off Lily's face and was replaced by a confused expression.

"What does that mean?"

"Well… Remus and I… sort of… kissed," Andromache cast a hesitant look up at her red-headed friend. Lily's jaw was practically sitting on the table.

"You what?" she said in shock.

"I didn't mean to… it just happened," Andromache said, taking her friend's expression to mean that she disapproved.

"So you kissed him?" Lily assumed.

"No…" Andromache trailed off. An unbelieving smile spread Lily's lips.

"He kissed you?" Lily whispered, her voice breaking with chuckles. Andromache nodded. "I can't believe this!" Andromache tried to force a smile, but found it was rather difficult considering all the unanswered questions that were circling around her. "Well what happens now? Are you guys an item?"

"Well… it's complicated," Andromache began, and Lily's face immediately fell into an expression of wariness. She didn't like the way Andromache's tone sounded at all.

"What does that mean?"

"It's just… Sirius and James walked in before we got a chance to talk," Andromache explained. Lily arched an eyebrow.

"But you're going to talk to him about it soon, right?"

"I saw him this morning, but all he talked about was helping me with my D.A.D.A. essay," Andromache sighed wearily. "He wouldn't even let me change the subject. It's like…"

"Like what?" Lily asked harshly. She couldn't believe Remus hadn't wanted to talk to Andromache about their kiss. Knowing him as she did, she would have assumed he would want to clear the air immediately.

"Like he doesn't remember," Andromache finished. Lily rolled her eyes and exhaled heavily. She was already at the end of her patience.

"Did he suffer a recent head injury?" Lily scoffed. "There's no way he could have forgotten."

"I know," Andromache agreed, her head dropping down onto the table. "He's avoiding the subject because he doesn't want to own up to it."

"Are you saying he just wanted to snog you without any strings?" Lily demanded in a hoarse whisper.

"No, Remus isn't like that," Andromache reasoned. Lily furrowed her brow in confusion. She didn't think there could be any other explanation. Remus had always been the kindest of the Marauders, but it didn't mean Sirius and James hadn't rubbed off on him a little. She was just sorry that Andromache had been the one to find out about his cad side.

"Well ,what other explanation can there be?" Lily said pointedly. Andromache bit her lip and stared down at the table. She had a theory, but not one she could share with Lily. She needed to talk to someone who knew about Moony's condition and was able to shed some light on the situation.

"I don't know," Andromache whispered, already plotting out her next move. "But it's safe to say that our fight is officially over."

"Well, at least there is some good news," Lily said, hoping to lighten Andromache's mood. The other girl smiled tightly and nodded.

* * *

That morning the Gryffindors first class was History of Magic. Andromache couldn't have been happier with her fate. It was the perfect class to hold a long discussion. Binns' never paid a wit of attention.

"James," Andromache hissed, grabbing him by the arm as he entered the room. She dragged him toward a table in the back, and James followed behind her in bewilderment.

"Oiy!" he shouted, shaking his arm free. He looked at her in annoyance and straightened his robes. "What's going on?"

"I need to talk to you," she explained, and as she said this she caught sight of Sirius, Remus and Peter entering the room. "Privately," she added. James grinned mischievously.

"Sounds intriguing," he stated, "I'm in." Andromache smiled in relief and they took the table in the back of the room. Once class came to order, James turned to Andromache. He leaned his temple against his fist and looked at Andromache intently. She rolled her eyes at his showmanship. "So… spill it 'Dromache." He waved her on to tell her tale.

"If you're going to be an ass then—"

"I'm just kidding around," he assured her with a smile. "Now then, what's the problem?"

"It's about Moony," Andromache began, and James' face spread into a giddy smile. This was going to be good. "But you have to promise not to tell Padfoot."

"You're kidding, right?" James snorted. Andromache stared at him warningly. "Fine," he sighed, "I won't say anything. But you'd better appreciate what I'm doing for you." Andromache rolled her eyes.

"Do you want to know what's going on, or what?"

"All right, all right." James nodded and pulled his chair closer to her. "Tell me what's going on with you and Moony."

"We kissed last night," Andromache said curtly, knowing there was no use in sugarcoating it. James' eyes practically exploded out of his head.

"You and Moony—kissed?" he repeated, and Andromache felt like she was dealing with Lily all over again. That was until Prongs' next comment. "Man! I can't believe he snogged you before I did!"

"You're serious?" Andromache demanded with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, no," James admitted, "but seriously… you'd think you would have fallen for my charms during at least one of Slughorn's Christmas parties. That punch is definitely made out of more than fruit juice."

"Okay, I'm not even going to tell you what a plonker you are," Andromache said irritably.

"So you kissed Moony, eh?" James said, pressing on as if he hadn't heard Andromache's comments. "Just wanted to brag, didn't you?" Andromache rolled her eyes.

"Girls don't brag about that sort of thing, Prongs." He looked at her with a furrowed brow. "Just trust me on this."

"All right, I'll take your word for it," he said skeptically. "So… lemme ask you something…"

"Whatever it is, I'm not—"

"How's Moony… you know… as a snogger?" James said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. Andromache sighed heavily and buried her eyes in her hand. Why had she chosen Prongs? Hector knew about Remus' secret as well, and he was a much better listener. She must have had a death wish when she'd decided James would be of most help.

"Prongs, I seriously need your help here and you're acting like a—"

"Okay, okay… just answer me that one question and I promise I'll take you seriously from this moment forward," James swore, holding up his hand in a Boy Scout's pledge of honor. Andromache sighed and passed her hands over her eyes tiredly.

"He's fine, Prongs," she said in annoyance.

"What does that mean?" James pressed. "Does that mean he sucks?"

"No! Prongs is this really—"

"I mean, what's his skill level? Are we talking Padfoot's or my skill… are we talking Wormtail's? Or maybe somewhere in the middle… Hector maybe? That guy with the feathery blonde hair on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team?"

"I bet you 5,000 galleons that he's better than you," Andromache snapped. Prongs was already grating on her last nerve, and she hadn't meant to come out so matter-of-factly, but she was pretty confident in her assessment. James' eyes widened in shock, and she smirked in satisfaction. "Anymore questions?" she asked slyly.

"Er… okay… so, why haven't you and Moony made this thing public knowledge?" James asked as he cleared his throat and adjusted his tie.

"That's the part I need your advice on," Andromache said, and she could barely believe those words had escaped her lips. "He hasn't said anything about it since last night."

"Whoa… hang on a minute," James interrupted, sounding even more surprised. "You two snogged last night? Where was I?"

"Mucking about with Padfoot," Andromache reminded him. A look of recognition passed across Prongs' face.

"Right… so when we walked in last night…?"

"Thanks for ruining my life," Andromache said caustically.

"Sorry," James said, giving her an apologetic look. For once Andromache was convinced he actually meant it. "All right, so let's recap—you and Moony snogged last night, and you two haven't said anything about it to anyone since. Whoa! Wait a second, aren't you both in relationships?"

"Prongs, that is so not the issue right now," Andromache said, though James was absolutely convinced that it was a deciding factor. "My deal is, Moony's been acting business as usual. _We_ haven't even said anything to each other about it. You'd think he'd want—" James was shaking his head, causing Andromache to stop in her tracks. "You think he doesn't want to clear the air?" James nodded. "Why not?" James shrugged and looked at her apologetically.

"There could be lots of reasons," James said apprehensively. "He has a girlfriend… and you are Sirius' sister. Maybe he just doesn't want to deal with the complications." Andromache nodded and stared down at her feet. James bit his lip and racked his brain for some comforting words. Unfortunately, sympathy was Moony's department.

"Right," she agreed, clearing her throat. She looked back up at James, forcing herself to seem light and cheery. "It makes sense. I mean, you're right, that has to be it. What's more complicated than dating your best friend's sister?" She laughed hollowly and turned in her seat to face the blackboard. Her full moon theory suddenly seemed like the stupidest idea she'd ever had. Lily had said almost the exact same things, in different language of course, but coming from James they seemed to be more absolute. It was a guy's opinion about another guy's actions, it seemed to hold more weight.

"'Dromache I could be wrong," he offered. She turned to look at him with a slight smile.

"You could be, but you're not," she said firmly. "It's okay… really. I have Dave, and it was probably just some weird fluke thing anyway. But thanks, for the tips." She picked up her quill and started taking down notes, leaving Prongs to feel guilty about his advice as he tried to fall into an uneasy nap. He'd promised 'Dromache he wouldn't tell Padfoot about their conversation, but he really didn't think he could live up to that. Something weird was going on with Moony. He would never kiss Andromache out of nowhere like that. It wasn't like him.

* * *

"So… did you get your expert advice?" Lily asked as she and 'Dromache sat down to lunch.

"Yeah, I think things are good now," Andromache said beaming. She picked a tuna sandwich off the tray and poured herself a glass of lemonade.

"Have you talked to Remus yet?" Lily asked, lowering her voice in some strange attempt to lessen the soreness of the subject. Andromache looked at her for a moment, before grabbing a handful of chips for her plate.

"You know, I really don't think we need to broach the subject," Andromache said with a shake of her head. "It'll just make things awkward. It's better if we just forget it." Lily's eyebrows shot up to the ceiling.

"Are you mental?" she exclaimed. "You can't just snog someone and have that be the end of it, especially when you're friends with the person."

"It's not a big deal," Andromache assured her, waving the comment off with a small chuckle.

"I can't believe you," Lily countered. "That sounds like something Sirius would say, it's not you."

"And how do you know that?" Andromache said, raising an eyebrow and looking at Lily haughtily. "Maybe I'm more like Sirius than you think." Lily shook her head forcefully. She wasn't willing to believe her friend was that casual about matters of the heart. She was about to say something else, but Remus and Hector walked up to the two girls at that exact moment. Lily's face immediately redden at the sight of Remus, and she bit her tongue to keep herself from betraying Andromache's confidence. She wanted more than anything to give him a good, stern lecture about playing with people's feelings, but Andromache was glaring daggers at her.

"Hey girls, how're things?" Hector asked with a congenial smile.

"Just fine," Lily told him, trying to take a cue from Andromache and act her way through whatever emotions she was feeling. "Andromache and I were just discussing the D.A.D.A. essay." Andromache kicked Lily under the table, but the redhead stared back at her with an arched eyebrow, not even recognizing the pain. Remus' face seemed to flush pink for a moment, but it cleared almost instantly, restoring his skin to its paleness.

"Do you still need help with that?" Remus asked Andromache. Lily was impressed by the way Andromache was able to stare Remus right in the eye and not even blush. It seemed almost unreal.

"You know, I had a little chat with Professor Arcturius and I think I've got a handle on it," she told him. She smiled smoothly, without even the slightest trace of resentment. "But if you wanted to read over it and tell me what you think…" she trailed off as her eye was caught by a tall, blonde seventh year in Ravenclaw. Andromache smiled coyly and stood up.

"I just have to—I'll be right back," she said, before hurrying off to meet with Dave. She skipped across the hall and grabbed Dave by the hand. He turned and his eyes widened in happy surprise when he caught sight of his girlfriend standing there. He leaned down and gave her a long kiss, which caused Remus to dig his fingers into the strap of his school bag. He felt as if his head was going to explode from the intense pain that was forcing its way through his temple and centering behind his eye. It took a moment for Remus to regain control of his faculties, but once he did he was ready to vomit. He'd never been a huge fan of Dave's, but suddenly just the sight of him made his skin crawl. He wanted to run over and break the couple apart, but he knew he had no right to interfere with Andromache's personal life.

After they'd kissed he'd wanted to talk to her more than anything in the world. He'd even considered waking her up in the middle of the night, but he didn't want to chance waking Sirius as well. He managed to fall asleep sometime around four o'clock in the morning, and by the time he'd woken up for classes he'd come to his senses. Things would never work between him and Andromache. There were too many complications, and not just because of Sirius. He had his own baggage to add to the mix. His commitment problems because of his condition were something he didn't want to inflict upon her. He cared about her too much, and if he did anything to hurt her he'd never forgive himself.

"I just remembered," Remus said, snapping his fingers, "I need to talk to Andromache about something of significant importance. I'll be right back." He hurried off, leaving Lily and Hector to stare at each other knowingly.

Remus came upon Andromache and Dave just as they had fallen into a game of flirting, which only increased Remus' nausea.

"All right Remus?" Dave said as he walked up. Andromache turned around and smiled at her friend, casting one adoring glance up at her boyfriend before fixing her attention on Remus.

"Hello Dave," Remus said, smiling tightly.

"What's up Remus?" Andromache asked, blinking innocently.

"Well, I wanted to ask you before I left—"

"Remus!" The werewolf winced and turned around with a false look of pleasure as Selene came bounding toward him. "Long time no see, handsome." She kissed him on the mouth, giving Remus a small sense of satisfaction over Andromache and Dave. He was also pleased to note that Andromache looked displeased with Selene's arrival. "Andromache, I haven't seen you in ages."

"I know… I've been busy," Andromache lied. "But we should… talk, sometime." She choked on the last words and swallowed hard. Dealing with Remus' girlfriend was hard enough on its own, but after what had transpired between them it was practically unbearable.

"You know what?" Selene said, her face brightening. "We should all go out together. Like a double date." Remus and Andromache's eyes locked for that one instant, but before they could share a meaningful look they broke eye contact.

"That sounds brilliant," Dave agreed, and the two Gryffindors were caught.

"How 'bout Saturday?" Selene suggested, and Andromache saw what was left of Remus' color drain from his face.

"Actually, that doesn't work for me," Andromache interjected, before Remus was forced to make up an excuse. "You see, I've got this extra credit assignment for Ancient Runes—I sort of bombed the last test—anyway, I promised Professor Charon I'd have it in by Monday." Remus looked at her with intense appreciation, and she just responded with a wink.

"All right, well what about the next Saturday?" Dave offered. "It's our trip to Hogsmeade."

"That sounds lovely," Selene agreed. "What do you think Remus?" He cast one wary glance at Andromache, but she was pointedly ignoring his gaze.

"Sounds brilliant," he said with a forced smile.

"Excellent," Dave said with a firm nod. "We'll be looking forward to it." He wrapped an arm around Andromache's shoulders and she just laughed hollowly as he smiled down on her. Remus exhaled heavily and tried to seem chipper, but all he could focus on was the pit in his stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Just wanted to say thanks for all the reviews/follows/favorites I've received thus far :) I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story, and I hope you like the next few chapters! - Lothlome **

Chapter 5

The next days came and went, with Remus slowly growing more ill by the day. By Thursday, he'd been forced to the confines of the hospital wing, and the Marauders prepared themselves for Saturday night when they'd be frolicking around the Dark Forest with their werewolf chum.

Hector, as usual, stayed behind to prepare the dorm for the soon to be battered animagi and to watch the clock until he needed to fly out and sound the warning. Once the sun went down, James, Sirius and Andromache huddled under James' invisibility cloak and sneaked out onto the grounds. Peter, on the other hand, had already transfigured into a rat and was scurrying down to the Whomping Willow.

Their night with Moony wasn't anything out of the ordinary, and they were subjected to the same battering and pounding as they always were. Though Andromache was convinced the werewolf seemed to be extra agitated with her and Sirius. Especially since Sirius ended up getting thrown into the lower branches of a tree at one point. All in all, it was a fun outing. Hector flew out just as the sun was about to come up over the horizon, and the Marauders led Moony back into the Shrieking Shack before Madam Pomfrey arrived.

Hector was already back in the dormitory by the time the Marauders came in. The door banged open, and Hector's eyes widened when he saw Andromache and James helping Sirius to limp into the room.

"What happened?" he asked, pulling out some salves.

"Moony threw me into a tree!" Sirius exclaimed as James and Andromache lowered him onto his bed, which had been covered with a sheet to protect the actual bedding from the mess. Hector whistled as he helped Sirius out of his things to assess the damage.

"How'd you fair Wormtail?" Hector asked. Peter shrugged as he collapsed onto his bed.

"A scratch or two, and a bruise on my hand," he listed off. "I never get as banged up as the others do." Hector shook his head knowingly. He cast a look over at Andromache and was surprised to see her stanching the blood flowing from a slash on her forehead. He also noticed a long cut running on her neck, and he assumed there were some wounds underneath her clothes, but he would have to assess them later. James was sporting his normal number of bruises, and he was already wrapping his wrist with an ace bandage.

Hector took a good long look at Sirius' torso and found, unfortunately, that he'd bruised two ribs on his left side. He did his best with the healing products he had, but he didn't dare try anything too ambitious just in case he ended up making things worse. An injury like this was best handled by Madam Pomfrey, but he had no idea how they would explain Sirius' injury so soon after the full moon. It would be too risky.

He administered a sleeping draught, and Sirius dropped off instantly. He then checked over James to make sure everything was status quo, and finally he turned to address Andromache's wounds.

"Are you feeling all right?" he asked seriously.

"Yeah, as normal as ever," she said with a nod. Hector let out a breath of relief and turned to grab some salves and bandages. He applied one to the wounds on her head and neck to prevent infection, and hopefully to take away some of the pain. He then checked her for broken bones and sprains, but everything seemed to check out normally. She claimed to be sore, but Hector knew that wasn't anything unusual. Trying to keep a werewolf in check was always a gamble.

"Are you heading up to the Hospital Wing?" Hector inquired as she changed into a new outfit in plain view. She managed to pull on a pair of jeans as well as a turtle neck without revealing anything, impressing Hector enormously.

"Yeah," she sighed as she brushed her hair. "I always go."

"You sure you don't want to grab some sleep? It couldn't hurt to be energized," Hector suggested. Andromache looked at him with an arched eyebrow.

"I know you think I look like hell," she said. He chuckled as she started to apply some make-up. "Don't worry, the make-up hides everything, and I always tell Madam Pomfrey I couldn't get a wink of sleep with Remus being in such torture." Her tone was teasing, but the truth was, every time Remus transformed her nerves were kicked into overdrive. If he ever got hurt, or hurt someone else, she would never be able to forgive herself.

"All right, am I beautiful enough?" she asked teasingly, standing so that Hector could make a full assessment.

"Gorgeous," Hector chuckled. "Now go down there and be Moony's life line. I'll make sure the others are up and ready to go in a few hours." Andromache smiled thankfully at him and headed down the spiral staircase, leaving Hector alone in a room of snoring Marauders. He rolled his eyes and dove into his bed. He didn't know how Andromache was going to pull off another all-nighter, but she always managed before, he was sure she could do it again.

* * *

When Andromache first reached the Hospital Wing she was refused admittance, though she wasn't much surprised by this, as Madam Pomfrey always denied her entry when she first arrived. She sighed heavily and pulled a book out of her bag.

"How is he?" Andromache asked quietly, staring up at the mediwitch. Madam Pomfrey's jaw tightened, but her gaze softened towards the young Gryffindor. Andromache knew the matron had to put on a strong front, but she could tell the nurse admired her dedication to her friend.

"As one would expect, Miss Black," she said and then swept back into the Hospital Wing. The doors to the ward closed with a bang and Andromache was left alone with her book. She tried to focus on the words printed on the page, but her thoughts frequently drifted to Remus. She couldn't stand sitting outside not being able to see his condition for herself. She didn't think he was too badly injured, but it was hard to tell in the thick of the night. She tapped her foot and stared out the window anxiously. It felt like the sun had stopped in the sky.

Finally, Madam Pomfrey appeared in the hall, and Andromache shot up from her seat hopefully.

"You may come in now, Miss Black," the nurse informed her. "Though I warn you, he's still asleep. It would probably be more to your benefit to come back later." Andromache shook her head.

"I want to sit with him," she said determinedly. Madam Pomfrey sighed and gestured for Andromache to follow her inside. She led Andromache to the corner of the ward, where Remus's bed had been enclosed by dividers. The nurse led her to the edge of these dividers and pulled the nearest one back. Andromache swallowed hard to calm her nerves. No matter how many times she saw him during the aftermath of the full moon, it never got any easier to stomach. She cast one hesitant glance up at Madam Pomfrey before stepping inside the enclosure.

The nurse pulled the enclosure to, and Andromache turned to look at the pale and sickly Remus. His original scars stood out violently against his skin, and his other cuts and bruises didn't look much better. Andromache sat down at his bedside, tucking her book away in her bag. She sighed heavily and looked Remus over carefully. He was sleeping peacefully now, thanks to Madam Pomfrey's Dreamless Sleeping Draught. She just hoped he was recovering quickly. One thing Remus always complained about was missing school, and the faster he healed, the faster he could get back to class. Andromache took his cold hand in her warm one and just let her eyes rove over his face. Even with the scars, he was the most handsome boy she'd ever met. At least in her eyes.

Looking at him as he slept on, oblivious to the world, she was taken back to the trouble of the past few days. She wished they'd never kissed, it made their relationship so complicated. She missed the days when she and Remus could sit back and have a nice long chat, without a nagging in the back of her mind. Things could have been so much easier.

Suddenly, Andromache felt Remus's hand tighten around her fingers, and her eyes lit up expectantly. Remus shifted in his bed and opened his eyes groggily.

"Andromache… you look nice today," he told her. She smiled, that was always the first thing out of his mouth after he woke up. She was glad to see he was well enough to still joke around.

"Oh please… I'm wearing more make-up than a drag queen," she scoffed. Remus grinned.

"So… how is everyone?" he asked, trying to sit up, but Andromache forced him to lie back down. He couldn't afford to overexert himself.

"Not bad," she said, thinking that summed up the whole evening rather nicely. "Sirius has some bruised ribs—"

"What?" he demanded, once again trying to sit up, but this time pain caused him to fall into his pillows.

"Sh!" Andromache whispered urgently, casting a wary glance behind her in case Madam Pomfrey was coming around. "He's fine, Hector saw to that. He should be back to his normal self in a few days."

"What about James and Peter?" he asked, his face now lined with seriousness. Andromache mentally kicked herself for answering his question. She knew it was going to put him in a tizzy, and she didn't want to upset him when he was so weak.

"They're fine," Andromache assured him. "Wormtail didn't fair any worse than usually, and Prongs may have an extra bump or two, but he managed to tend to himself." Remus nodded and stared down at his sheets. His hand found its way back to Andromache's, and he slowly wrapped his fingers around the tips of hers.

"And what about you?" His ochre eyes locked with her grey ones. She smiled reassuringly and tried to look at him in a way that would convince him she was fine.

"Not bad," she told him, "though I am a little tired." Remus wasn't convinced. He tore his hand away from hers and reached up to run his fingertips along the cut on her forehead. She felt her stomach tighten, and she was glad he couldn't see the long slash running down her neck. _"Thank God for turtlenecks,"_ she thought appreciatively.

"Did I do this?" he asked, though Andromache was sure he already knew the answer.

"Remus…"

"Don't Andromache, I don't want to hear it," he told her, his voice becoming harsh.

"This wasn't your fault," she said urgently. Remus rolled his eyes with a scoff.

"It wasn't? Are you friends with another werewolf that I'm not aware of?"

"Don't be like that…"

"Like what?" he demanded, his eyes clashing with hers.

"Stop it, okay!" Andromache exclaimed. "We all knew what we were getting into when we decided to… to do this. You're our friend Remus, so stop acting like you're a burden. You're not a burden. You're my friend, and I'd let the wolf tear me to shreds before I'd give you up." Remus turned his face away and winced. He hoped it would never come to that. Still, it made him feel better to know how much his friends cared about him.

He pressed a hand to his forehead as he felt a shoot of pain go through his right eye. He tried to bite back an exclamation of pain, but it escaped him against his will. Andromache jumped up immediately and got to work. She found the vial of pain-numbing potion and poured the required dosage into a glass for Remus to take. She then poured cool water into the large washing bowl on the bedside table and dipped a washcloth into it. She handed Remus the potion, which he swallowed down gratefully. He let his head fall back into the cushy hospital pillows and panted heavily. The recuperation after the full moon was shear agony, but it was less painful due to the Marauders' contribution. He could never thank them enough.

Suddenly, he felt a cool towel pressed to his feverish skin, and he opened his eyes slowly to see Andromache carefully applying it to his forehead. Immediately, he felt guilt swelling inside his chest. After everything he'd put her through, she was still there at his bedside. Caring for him as she always had. He hated himself for being such a coward.

"Why are you doing this?" he whispered hoarsely.

"Doing what?" Andromache asked in confusion, pulling back for a moment.

"Helping me," he said heavily, struggling to take down breaths. "I've been… awful to you… but you're still… you're still here."

"Remus, I need to get Madam Pomfrey, you can barely breathe," Andromache said. She turned to fetch the matron, but Remus caught her wrist.

"Not yet," he managed to choke out, "tell me… why are you still here?"

"Because Remus… I…" She leaned down and kissed him softly on the forehead. She didn't know what to say. She couldn't say what she really felt, not when things were as they were. She sat up. "I have to get Madam Pomfrey."

"Promise… promise you won't let her kick you out," Remus coughed. "I need you to stay with me." Andromache's mouth twisted into a bittersweet smile.

"Let her try and stop me," she teased, and Remus smiled through the pain. Andromache squeezed his hand once more before running to fetch the nurse.

* * *

By Tuesday, Remus was back in school, and he couldn't have been more pleased about it. Things were starting to finally get back to normal between him and Andromache, though a small part of him still wished he could have had the courage of a Gryffindor and faced their kiss. Still, it was starting to get easier.

Andromache was also feeling better about their situation, but she had to admit, Dave was starting to grate on her nerves. It wasn't the Ravenclaw so much as it was that she didn't want to be in a relationship anymore. Dave was as kind as could be, and handsome to boot, but they didn't belong together. And the guilt coursed through her veins like poison every time they were together. She was leading him on, and that made her no better than her brother when it came to relationships. She didn't want to be like him.

It was a cold evening, and Andromache and Lily had decided to finish up their homework beside the comforting warmth of the Gryffindor hearth. Andromache was just finished up the last of her Divination work when Sirius came in, looking troubled about something.

"All right, Sirius?" she asked pleasantly, ignoring her brother's grumpy expression.

"I need to talk to you," he replied gruffly. "Meet me in the dorm." Andromache shrugged at Lily's questioning stares before following Sirius upstairs.

"What's going on?" she asked as she closed the door behind her. Sirius dropped his bag on his bed before spinning around to glare at her.

"You kissed Moony!" he shouted. Andromache groaned and buried her face in her hands. That was the last time she was _ever_ telling James a secret.

"Ugh! I can't believe James!" she said in annoyance, now glaring up at the ceiling.

"I'm glad he told me," Sirius countered, looking mutinous. "I can't believe you and Moony didn't say a word to me."

"Sirius, you cannot—"

"What?" Sirius shot back, just daring her to challenge him. "Hex him into oblivion?"

"He's your friend!" Andromache reminded him.

"No shit," Sirius said snidely and Andromache narrowed her eyes at him. "He should know better than this."

"Than what?" Andromache demanded, placing her hands on her hips and cocking an eyebrow.

"Messing with your feelings," Sirius said pointedly. "Damn! I can't believe he'd do this."

"He wasn't messing with my feelings… not intentionally anyway," she added in a softer voice. Sirius rolled his eyes at her ignorance.

"This isn't right Andromache, and you know it! Remus shouldn't be able to treat you like his personal call girl whenever the full moon comes around," Sirius argued.

"What?" Andromache said in shock. So Sirius believed in her theory as well? It _was_ the full moon that made Moony's inhibitions shut down. "You think the full moon made him kiss me?"

"What other explanation could there be?" Sirius said caustically. "Remus would never snog you if he was in his right mind." Andromache's nostrils flared and she felt the blood creep to her head. She didn't appreciate his tone.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Look, Andromache, I don't know what fantasy you've concocted in your head, but Remus isn't the one who's after you," Sirius said, and she could tell that he was trying to take the edge off his voice.

"Oh… I understand… you think it's just the wolf who wants me?" she said, her voice dangerously low. Sirius averted his eyes from hers. "Sirius, this is low, even for you."

"I'm just trying to protect you!" he shouted defensively.

"From what?" she scoffed.

"You think I'm an idiot? You think I don't see the way you look at Remus?" he said quietly. "I know you want to believe that he has feelings for you, but he doesn't. He just wants to—"

"Get me out of his system?" Andromache said acidly. Sirius shrugged.

"Yeah," he said lamely.

"You're an idiot, Sirius!"

"I'm an idiot?" he demanded angrily.

"God! You don't think that perhaps your little theory is wrong?" she shouted. "Maybe Remus does want to be with me and he's just too afraid to say anything. Maybe the wolf is trying to tell him something."

"Guys don't work that way Andromache," Sirius sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means… if he wanted to ask you out he would have a long time ago." Andromache felt her throat tighten, but she still wasn't willing to let Sirius' words sway her mindset. She was still convinced that he was just upset that his best friend had kissed his sister.

"Just because that's how you operate Sirius…"

"No, it's how we all operate," he said gravely. "We don't think about the consequences. If we like a girl… we just…"

"I get it," she snapped. Sirius looked at her apprehensively, wishing he hadn't had to break the news to her like that.

"Andromache, I'm not trying to hurt you…"

"Please, I know tact isn't your strong point," she told him, holding her hand up to keep him for going further.

"Look, I don't know what's going on with Moony," Sirius said. "Obviously something weird is going on between him and the wolf, but I think it's best that you just stay away from him during his… difficult times… until he's got it sorted out."

"You're serious?" she said in disbelief. "You think I'm going to let him go through this alone?"

"Andromache…"

"We're done here, Sirius," she said firmly, wrapping her hand around the doorknob.

"I'm not trying to hurt you," he insisted.

"Too late," she said heavily, before storming out. Sirius exhaled heavily and thrust a hand through his shaggy black hair. Fast as lightning he grabbed his Charms book and heaved it at the door. Papers went flying everywhere, but he ignored them. He sank down onto his trunk and let his head fall into his hands. That conversation hadn't gone as planned.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"I'm going to kill myself!" Andromache shouted. Lily sighed wearily and slumped against the bathroom door. Andromache had been threatening to kill and/or maim herself for the past two hours. Today she was scheduled to meet Dave, Remus and Selene for their double date.

"No you're not," Lily called back. "Remus would figure it out."

"True," Andromache agreed. It was the most reasonable statement she'd made all morning.

"Can you just get ready? We're going to be late!" Lily said in annoyance.

"I can't do this!" Andromache insisted. Lily's fists curled and she resisted the urge to open the door and strangle Andromache. "If I have to sit there and watch Remus and that—that…"

"Her name's Selene," Lily filled in monotonously. She heard Andromache mutter something. "Just get ready!"

"Fine, dammit!" Andromache shouted. "But I swear, if I die I'm blaming you."

"Whatever gets you out of the bathroom faster," Lily said, glancing at her watch.

Andromache sighed agitatedly and stared at herself in the mirror. If she was going to be forced to go through this lunch, she was going to do it right. That meant making herself look ten billion times hotter than Selene. She was feeling particularly vengeful that morning.

After an hour, she stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed. She wore a pair of skintight dark-wash jeans and a low cut black shirt. She pulled a tight fitting deep blue corduroy jacket over the shirt and tied a skinny black scarf around her neck stylishly. Her hair was in messy waves, instead of her usual curls. She'd done her make-up lightly, knowing Selene would do the opposite. She'd only done up her eyes, which she'd covered in a black shadow. The rest of her face looked as if make-up hadn't even touched it.

"Well… what do you think?" Andromache asked Lily, who'd been staring at her silently for the past few minutes.

"I think you're cruel," Lily said, her eyes falling all the way down to Andromache's black boots. Andromache shrugged and grabbed her purse.

"Works for me," she decided. Lily decided not to argue and followed Andromache to the outer courtyard where Filch and McGonagall were checking people off the list to head into Hogsmeade.

"Hey babe, you look brilliant," Dave complimented as he draped his arm over Andromache's shoulders. He gave her a peck on the cheek, and she smiled as she resisted the urge to wipe it off. Lily just looked over at her friend with a restrained sense of satisfaction.

"I'm going to meet Alice," Lily informed her, "but you promised we'd go down to the Shrieking Shack after your date." Andromache nodded firmly.

"I'm all yours," she assured her. Lily smirked before skipping off, leaving Andromache alone with Dave.

They killed time before lunch by browsing through the shops, but nothing really caught Andromache's interest. Dave was prattling on about Quidditch, which usually would have kept Andromache's attention, but at the moment she was preoccupied. In her mind she was running through possible escape plans. No matter how many times Lily tried to convince her otherwise, she wasn't able to face her lunch with Remus and Selene.

Exactly at noon Andromache and Dave walked into the restaurant Selene had asked them to come to. It was a nice place with a comfortable, pub like atmosphere, though it had a little more class.

"Over here!" Selene called with a wave as the couple entered. Dave waved back and headed over to the table, Andromache trailing behind him with a tight smile. It was going to be a long afternoon. "We were afraid you wouldn't make it," Selene said pleasantly. Dave and Andromache slid into the opposite side of the booth from the others, with Andromache placed directly across from Remus.

_"I'm never going to survive this,"_ she thought desperately, staring up at the ceiling.

"So… what's the food like?" Dave asked as he opened a menu.

"I think it's great," Selene replied. "But it's not the fanciest."

"Just my style," Dave chuckled and Selene smiled at him with her usual bubbly expression. Andromache tried not to gag and placed her menu on the table so that she was hidden from view. So far, Remus had avoided all eye contact with her. So typical.

Eventually, the waitress walked over, taking their orders and taking back Andromache's hiding place. She was forced to finally engage in some small talk.

"It's so hard to get out, isn't it?" Selene was saying, as she maintained what Andromache called a 'death grip' on Remus's arm. "That's one of the bad things about boarding school, a lot harder to have a social life. Remus and I barely ever get a chance to go out."

"It's not hard if you know where to look," Andromache said, her glance flickering to Remus momentarily. "If I didn't go to boarding school I'd probably kill myself."

"Why?" Selene asked innocently, batting her eyelashes.

"My parents… aren't the easiest to live with," she said cryptically.

"Well whose aren't, am I right?" Dave said, and he and Selene dissolved into laughter. Remus cast a worried look at Andromache, but she was staring darkly at the table.

"But enough about that," Dave said as he sobered up. "How're O.W.L.'s going for everyone?" Remus didn't hear much of anyone's answer, he was too busy wishing Dave would drop through a hole to China. Every second he spent with the idiot, the more he hated him. He was such a typical seventh year, thinking he was on the top of the world just because he was an upperclassman. He didn't even seem that interested in Andromache. It was all so unbearable.

"… I'm just glad I have a great girl like Andromache by my side," Dave finished up, giving her a one-armed hug. Remus took a long draught of butterbeer.

"So Dave, have you met Sirius yet?" Remus asked. Andromache's eyes widened warningly, but Remus pressed on. It was as if he'd been taken over by a jealous maniac. He knew Andromache was going to kill him later for all this, but in the safety of their booth the threat seemed minimal.

"Not yet," Dave said confidently, "but I'm looking forward to it."

"Really?" Remus asked, his eyebrows elevating to his hairline. "Most guys in your position wouldn't say the same."

"Why's that?" Dave asked, suddenly sounding unsure of himself. Remus bit back a triumphant smirk. Finally the pretty boy was starting to sweat.

"Well… it's just the last guy Andromache dated ended up in the Hospital Wing for a week," Remus continued, and Dave's face contorted into an expression of anxiety.

"Remus!" Andromache said warningly, but her efforts were in vain.

"But I'm sure you'll be fine," Remus said, his voice honeyed with false assurance. "Sirius won't hurt you if he's sure you're a perfect gentlemen."

"Well I…" Dave trailed off, his face turning red.

"Don't worry," Remus told him, "there's a chance he won't find out. Then again, he is rather well connected…"

"Dave, don't listen to him," Andromache jumped in, giving her boyfriend a placating look and glaring at Remus in the same breath. "Sirius only got into a fight with _one_ guy I dated, and that's just because he ended up being a major _prig!_" She looked at Remus pointedly as she said that last word.

"Oh… well… I guess that's justified," Dave said, loosening his collar as he began to relax. Remus took another swing of butterbeer, again feeling a rush of assertiveness rush through him. He wasn't finished with Dave yet.

"So Selene, I guess you're pretty worried with O.W.L.'s coming up," Andromache said, her eyes glinting with a maliciousness Remus hadn't seen since she'd dueled with Bellatrix Black over a month ago. His hand curled into a fist over his knee.

"Well, a little I suppose, why?" Selene asked curiously. Andromache giggled, but it didn't sound like a girlish laugh like Selene, it was more like a hollow cackle. Remus had never seen more of a reason why all the Blacks ended up in Slytherin than he did at that moment.

"You know Remus, everything else becomes less important once exams come up. He'll probably make every excuse not to see you," Andromache said, watching Selene turn to stare at Remus in surprise. "But don't worry, once the hype dies down I'm sure things'll go back to normal. He really likes you, not like that other girl he dated… Aubrey was her name? You dumped her because she was conflicting with your study schedule, right?" Remus glared at her murderously, ignoring Selene's gasp and Dave's amused guffaw.

"Food's here!" the waitress announced, passing everyone's dishes around. The whole table fell silent as the waitress gave them their dishes and slipped the check underneath the salt and pepper shakers. "Enjoy!" She skipped off, leaving the group of students to face the awkwardness that had fallen over the table. Dave managed to steer the conversation back onto a more pleasant course, and everyone visibly relaxed. With food in her stomach Andromache realized what a twit she'd been. She made a vow to herself not to lose control like that again. She could only imagine what Lily would say if she could've seen the way she was acting before.

Remus, on the other hand, was ready to commit a murder. Dave was just proving himself to be more of a prat as time went on. Remus couldn't help but notice that the Ravenclaw had taken a particular interest in Selene and was flirting with her shamelessly. It made him want to throw his basket of fish and chips right into the smirking seventh year's face. And the strange part of it was, he was angrier on Andromache's behalf than he was on his own.

"Yeah, it was too bad about Ravenclaw losing out to Gryffindor," Dave said, draping his arm over the back of the booth. "I couldn't give it my all with 'Dromache playing Chaser, but hey… it's the one thing she'll be sleeping on the couch for, right?" Remus dropped his fork, unable to control himself. Andromache's head spun with the speed of light, and she looked at Remus warningly. He just narrowed his eyes and settled into stabbing his fish with his fork.

Soon the conversation fell to the Slytherins and Dave and Selene were congratulating the two Gryffindors for a job well done on kicking the thugs' butts in past weeks.

"It isn't all fun and games, we got detention for two weeks," Remus said.

"It was definitely worth it," Andromache countered, and Remus let the trace of a smile cling to his lips. "I just love kicking Bella's butt."

"She almost killed you," Remus reminded her. Andromache waved him off.

"Psh… details…" she said nonchalantly.

"I'll never understand why Gryffindors and Slytherins have to hate each other so much," Selene laughed as she took a forkful of chicken salad.

"It's inborn," Andromache explained.

"You just better make sure word doesn't get back to your parents," Remus warned her. "The last thing they want to hear is that you're maiming their future relatives."

"What do you mean?" Dave asked curiously, his eyes focusing on Remus in rapt attention. Andromache began to motion for Remus to look at her, but whether he didn't see, or he as unwilling to acknowledge her pleas, he never really would know for sure. All he knew was that he'd become the biggest prick in the history of the universe in that split second.

"Didn't Andromache tell you?" Remus asked and Dave shook his head. Andromache continued to make gestures for Remus to look at her, but she was past his comprehension. "She's engaged to Lucius Malfoy." Andromache's head immediately fell into her hand and both Dave and Selene looked at the two Gryffindors in shock.

"You're what?" Dave demanded, turning toward his girlfriend. Andromache grimaced and faced the boy beside her.

"Look, it's not as bad as it sounds—"

"When were you planning on springing that piece of information?" Dave asked her, sounding absolutely livid.

"Dave, please, not here," Andromache begged. He sighed and slumped into the booth grumpily.

"I think I'm going to visit the powder room," Selene announced, and Remus stood up to let her out of the booth.

"Remus… can I have a word with you?" Andromache asked, though it was more of an order than a question. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him toward a secluded area near the back of the restaurant.

"Are you insane?" she said in an urgent whisper.

"I didn't know you were keeping it a secret," Remus offered lamely. Andromache rolled her eyes and flapped her arms wildly.

"What that bloody hell did you think I was doing back there?" she shouted. "Playing at being a… a… what are those stupid muggle things called… an air traffic controller!"

"Well what about you, telling Selene I was going to dump her as soon as exams rolled around?" Remus deflected. Andromache rolled her eyes and tore at her hair.

"That's nothing compared to what you just did!" she shot back. "My betrothal to Lucius was one of my most closely guarded secrets! Not even Lily and Hector know about it, Remus!"

"What?" Remus whispered, his jaw dropping in shock. He'd never realized. Of course, he knew her betrothal was supposed to be kept close the vest, but to think that Lily didn't even know…. He felt like the world's biggest prat.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me," Andromache continued on, her voice starting to crack as she fought back tears. "Everyone is going to find out now."

"Andromache I—"

"I know you hate Dave, Moony, but I didn't think you'd stoop to exposing my biggest secret to make the relationship rocky. I'd _never_ do that to you! No matter how upset I was." Remus stared at his shoes in shame. He couldn't even be the friend Andromache was to him. "I thought I could trust you." Remus' head lifted slowly, and his eyes locked with Andromache's. He'd never seen her looking so hurt.

The moment was broken with Dave's approach. He'd already paid the check and was now looking longingly at the exit.

"Hey 'Dromache, I think we should go," Dave said, shuffling back into his coat. His voice was quiet, which only made Andromache surer that he'd taken the news about her betrothal badly.

"Yeah, right behind you," she said in the same voice. She turned back to Remus one last time. "Tell Selene we had a nice time." He nodded.

"Sure… I'll tell her."

* * *

After their disastrous lunch, Remus had faked a headache and told Selene he needed to go back to the castle. She waved good-bye with a smile, making Remus feel even guiltier. The feeling gnawed at his gut the whole trip back to Gryffindor tower, and it remained with him as he tried to riddle out his latest Arithmancy problems.

Seeing the hurt look on Andromache's face had shocked him back into the real world. That person at the restaurant, that wasn't him. He'd never purposefully hurt his friend just to keep her away from a guy he didn't approve of. He would have talked it over with her, explained why he thought Dave was a prat. She probably wouldn't have paid attention to his concerns, but he would have voiced them and it would have been enough. Yet lately, everything with Andromache had become complicated. He didn't know how to react anymore.

Remus didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved when the dormitory door creaked open. He glanced up from his book, and felt his stomach flip as Andromache walked into the room. She hadn't noticed him yet, but he was sure it was only a matter of seconds. The minute she turned around her eyes gave away her surprise. Remus studied her closely. She washed off her make-up, but this only made her more attractive in his eyes. He also noticed she looked upset about something, and he could only guess about what.

"Sorry… I didn't know you were studying," she apologized, sounding as innocent as a little girl. Remus restrained the dozens of questions pushing their way against the sides of his skull, desperate to break free. It was like her anger had never existed. Like the whole fight had never existed… maybe even the whole day. Remus wondered if Andromache felt as disconcerted as he did now when he'd pretended like they'd never kissed. He'd never imagined what it would be like on the other end of the predicament.

"I was looking for Hector," she explained, and he suddenly realized he'd been silent the whole time. "Can you just tell him I stopped by?"

"Uh… sure," Remus agreed, thankful he was able to make his tongue work. Andromache inclined her head toward him in appreciation and turned to the door. She placed her hand on the doorknob and had opened the door a crack before Remus called to stop her. "Andromache, wait…" She closed the door, but her hand remained on the doorknob and she pressed her forehead to the cherry wood paneling. Remus stood up and stepped hesitantly toward his friend.

"Is everything all right?" This question proved to be Andromache's breaking point. She turned around, her face compressed in anguish as tears streamed down her face.

"He chucked me, Remus," she sobbed, collapsing into his outstretched arms. She wept against his chest and Remus stroked her hair comfortingly.

"What?" Remus said in disbelief, but deep down he knew this would be the outcome of his actions. "Please tell me it's not because of what I—"

"Don't blame yourself," Andromache said against his chest. Remus closed his eyes and bit into his lip. He wished he had a time turner. He led Andromache to his bed and cleared away his books so she could sit. She was still crying, but Remus could tell she was trying to get herself under control again. The minute he sat down across from her, her head fell against his shoulder. Remus could feel her tears soaking through his shirt sleeve.

"Here," Remus said, handing her a handkerchief. She accepted it with a small nod of thanks and wiped her face. "What happened?"

"He just couldn't take it," Andromache explained. "The minute we left the restaurant we got into a huge fight. He said I was too much trouble—what, with my rampaging brother and Death Eater fiancé." She sniffled and continued, "You know what the stupidest thing is? I was getting tired of Dave anyway, but now that he's gone… I feel more alone than ever." She fell into another fit of crying, and Remus wrapped an arm around her, just so she'd know that someone was there.

"I really am going to end up Lucius Malfoy's slave girl," she said, struggling against tears. Remus cupped her head in his hands and turned her face so that he could look her in the eye.

"That's not going to happen," he said firmly, pushing her hair away from her face gently. "I won't let it… none of us will." She laughed hollowly.

"What are you going to do?" she said hopelessly. "Sirius has tried everything, but my father won't budge. I'm trapped."

"You're not trapped," Remus persisted, and not just for her sake, but his own as well. He'd never realized how much Andromache's betrothal had weighed on him, not until he'd seen the look on Dave's face. The look expressed everything he'd always felt: The fear… the disappointment… the idea that she already belonged to someone else.

"I am," Andromache said desperately. "Once everyone finds out about my betrothal—that's it. No one wants to go against the Blacks _and_ the Malfoys." Remus pulled her to him before he even knew what he was doing. He pressed his cheek against Andromache's soft, black hair and closed his eyes. His hand slowly ran up and down her back. He couldn't stand to see her like this.

"I'm _so _sorry," he said, trying to expunge all of his guilt into that simple sentence. It didn't help much.

"For what?" Andromache asked, sitting up. "Keeping me from killing myself?" Remus smiled wryly. "Moony, forget about what happened at the restaurant. You were angry… you made a mistake… in the end you just saved me the trouble of having to tell Dave myself."

"I never wanted this to happen," Remus said softly, staring at her so intently that he thought he might burn a hole in her retinas.

"I know," she whispered. She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "You're a good friend Remus." He shook his head. It was a title he didn't deserve.

"I'm the worst friend you have Andromache, don't—" She held up a hand to silence him.

"You're my _best_ friend, Remus." She smiled as he stared at her in surprise. He never knew she'd considered him to be her best friend. It made him feel strangely elated.

"You're my best friend too, Andromache."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: All right, so these are the last two chapters. I just wanted to say thanks again to all the people who supported the story! I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you like these last two chapters. Happy reading! - Lothlome :) **

Chapter 7

The next few weeks passed by with minimal distractions. Andromache didn't have much time to mull over the gossip that was spreading about her, as Quidditch had once again taken a predominance in her life. Gryffindor's big game against Hufflepuff was coming up, and their team had become quite the formidable foe. Frank Longbottom, Gryffindor captain and Keeper, had increased practice to four times a week in hopes to increase their chances.

"Cheer up 'Dromache," Sirius said as he and James plopped down on either side of her on the bench in the Quidditch locker room.

"Don't worry Sirius, I'm fine," she assured him with a chuckle. She straightened up and forced herself to pay attention to her team mates. On her way over she'd heard a group of girls discussing her betrothal and it hadn't helped her spirits. She couldn't wait until the hype died down. "All I want is to win the next match."

"And kick Selene's butt," James added with a smirk. She just happened to be the Hufflepuff Keeper.

"This isn't about any personal vendetta," Andromache said firmly, but Sirius and James exchanged skeptical looks, causing her to sigh in defeat. "Fine, it's eighty percent about the match and twenty percent the vendetta."

"Maybe if you guys stopped reminding her about her problems she would forget about it," Hector said reasonably, leaning over the group from the bench behind them. Sirius snorted.

"What you should do is channel it into your game," James told her pointedly.

"You may be onto something there, Prongs," she said thoughtfully. They soon dropped the topic as the rest of the team walked in. Frank took his place next to the black board and quickly drew up his latest strategy.

Once the drills had been explained, they headed out to the pitch for some practice. Andromache had never been so thankful for Quidditch in all her life, and after spending an hour and a half throwing the Quaffle around with James and Romaeus she felt loads better. She also tried to keep James advice in mind and used her anger to keep her motivated; it had to come in handy for something after all.

"How was practice?" Wormtail asked as the weather beaten Quidditch players walked into the dormitory a few hours later. Sirius didn't respond and crashed into his bed, burying his face in the comfort of his pillows.

"I hate Frank," Sirius groaned in agony, pushing the sides of the pillow against his head.

"It could've been worse," Hector said reasonably, rubbing his sore arms.

"Speak for yourself," James said heavily as he collapsed onto his four-poster in a spread-eagle position. "I can't remember ever doing that many formations."

"It'll be worth it," Andromache countered, though she also was on the verge of passing out. Still, she would do whatever it took to beat Selene… and the Hufflepuffs, of course.

"Er… you might want to tell your neck that," Peter said, looking at her and wincing. Andromache furrowed her brow for a moment, but realization hit her when her fingers flew to the injury Wormtail was referring to.

"Oh… that would be Padfoot's fault," she said, examining the large purple bruise on the side of her neck.

"Hey! You were the one who wasn't paying attention," Sirius said, sitting up long enough to defend himself.

"I was catching a pass from Prongs," Andromache countered. "Besides, it's your job to watch the Bludger."

"I was watching it, but in case you haven't noticed, there are two of them," Sirius said, looking at her as if she was an idiot. Andromache growled and took a step forward.

"I noticed, Padfoot," she shot back, her tone warning him to back off. "But I was preoccupied, you know, trying to score."

"Well, I was _trying_ to keep the other Bludger from hitting Frank. We lose the Keeper and we're screwed, 'Dromache. I was making a sacrifice. Technically, Hector should've been picking up the slack."

"Hey! Leave me out of this," Hector called from the bathroom. Sirius waved him off.

"Just watch my back next time. A miss like that and it could cost us the game," Andromache said matter-of-factly. Sirius pounded a fist into the bed in an effort to control his temper.

"You know if you weren't my sister I'd—"

"Whoa!" James shouted, sitting up and jumping to his feet in case things got ugly. "What's with the hostility? Since when are you two at each other's throats?" Both Andromache and Sirius seemed to snap out of a trance at the sound of Prongs' voice. They looked at each other apologetically and then said simultaneously, "I'm sorry!"

"I guess the tensions are starting to get to me," Sirius went on, offering his sister a half-smile. Andromache nodded.

"Yeah… me too," she said, though with less conviction. It wasn't just Quidditch that was wearing her down. Rumors were still flying about her and Lucius, and it was getting harder for Andromache to drown them out. "Look, maybe I should just go to bed. I'm obviously cranky, and we've got a big game in a few days, we should all rest."

"Yeah," James agreed, loosening his grip on his wand, which he'd grabbed and held behind his back once the Blacks' argument had gotten heated. "We're all wiped."

"See you guys tomorrow," Andromache said, and the door clicked shut before the boys could even start a good night.

"That was scary," Peter said, looking at his dorm mates with an anxious look.

"No kidding," James sighed.

* * *

That Saturday was the Gryffindor-Hufflepuff Quidditch match. The Gryffindor team played with an intensity that would have made the professional leagues proud, and all of the team members seemed to have taken James' advice about turning anger into passion for the game, including James himself. Andromache had already been in a foul mood. James had once again been refused by Lily, only this time in addition to getting a 'no' he had also received a dose of public humiliation and a hexing in front of half the school to go along with it. Sirius had been given detention for two and half weeks for defending himself against one of Snape's attacks, and for once, he was actually telling the truth about not starting it. Romaeus had just gone through a nasty break-up, and Cassie had been given a 'T' on one of her practice potions essays. The only two on the team that had a vestige of happiness were Hector and Frank, so all in all they were a terrifying bunch.

During the match Sirius was smacking the Bludger around the pitch so forcefully that he had actually worn a dent into his club, and a very unfortunate Hufflepuff Chaser had ended up with a Bludger right in the back of the head. James, Andromache, and Romaeus were practically untouchable, they were flying around so quickly, and they threw the Quaffle through the hoops so forcefully that Selene really was in danger of ending up with a broken nose. Sirius did manage to get some revenge for his sister, as he sent a Bludger spinning Selene's way that was sure to leave a very nasty bruise on her ankle. Cassie had even decided to attempt a Wronski Feignt, which was actually quite impressive, only she pulled up too early, and the Hufflepuff seeker was able to recover from the nose dive before he collided with the ground.

The Hufflepuff team managed to put up a good fight against the anger driven Gryffindors. Andromache received two very nasty blows from a Bludger, one in her arm, which caused her to drop the Quaffle and resulted in a Hufflepuff interception and score. The other was in the side, right below her ribs. James was elbowed in the face by one of the other Hufflepuff Chasers, and the Gryffindors received a penalty shot, and despite blood covering almost his entire face, James was able to score. Frank had been hit right in the gut with the Quaffle and he was sent flying right through the center goal hoop. It was a miracle that Romaeus had managed to catch him, and help him back onto his own broomstick before he hit the ground.

Yet even with the Hufflepuffs fighting so hard against them, they really never stood a chance, and Gryffindor ended the match victorious. Winning the game actually seemed to put most of the team back into good spirits and even Andromache was distracted from what she was starting to think was going to be an eternal fury. That evening there was a large celebration party in the Gryffindor common room, with food and drink supplied by the Marauders. James and Sirius were both regaling the crowd with a terribly exciting, if not embellished, play-by-play of the action during the game. Their fellow Gryffindors cheered, clapped, and booed as if they had not seen the match a mere two hours earlier. James also seemed to be getting over his heart break just fine, as he had cozied up to Charlotte, a fellow fifth year, and one of Andromache's roommates.

"And to think, this morning he was moaning about how he would never love again," Andromache said to Hector as they observed their friend's antics from their place by a window near the back.

"He always was a fast healer," Hector said with a smile. Andromache smiled and took a very long sip of butterbeer from her cup. "Speaking of which, how're those bruises coming along?"

"Brilliantly," she told him. "I expect a nice shade of purple by tomorrow morning."

"Well at least you can hide them with your uniform," he said reassuringly.

"Are you kidding? I'm showing these babies off," she teased. "We're talking midriffs and tank tops at least until they start turning that ugly green color." Hector just laughed. Andromache was thankful for his company, he was the only one who seemed to realize that talking about Remus and her betrothal every five minutes actually did _not_ help make her feel any better.

"Oh no, Lily's got her 'I hate James Potter like poison' face on," Hector observed. "I'd better go do some damage control. I'd ask you to help, but I don't think you need another argument with her about the Marauders, once a month is enough."

"You've got that right," she agreed.

"You gonna be okay by yourself?" he asked. Andromache nodded and watched as Hector crossed the room to go speak with Lily. She had to bite back a laugh as Lily immediately opened her mouth and began ranting, Andromache could only imagine what she was saying. She let her eyes rove around the room, looking to see what all her friends were doing. She was pleased to see Frank and Alice were having what seemed to be a nice conversation. Alice had always had a bit of a crush on Frank, and Andromache was glad that she was finally getting somewhere, those two were perfect for each other. She forced herself to look at James, who was still sitting with Charlotte, his arm draped over the back of the couch, and Charlotte was smiling shyly. Obviously the Potter charm was working its magic, though it was nothing compared to the charm of the Blacks, as Sirius had already managed to find some innocent girl to snog in the back corner of the room. Andromache shuddered and stared determinedly in the opposite direction. She wondered how long it was going to take her to repress that memory. Finally, she found Remus and Peter; they were sitting by the fire in two cushy armchairs engrossed in conversation.

She was about to join them, when she heard two girls nearby talking about her favorite subject.

"…I hear their families organized it when they were kids," one girl was saying, and Andromache heard the other girl gasp.

"How awful, she must be ready to drown herself," the friend sympathized, though Andromache didn't take much comfort out of the statement. "I know I would if I was going to be forced to marry a Slytherin."

"And a Malfoy to boot," the other added. "She did a helluva job keeping it quiet, but it was only a matter of time before someone spilled the beans."

"I would have tried to hide it too. I mean, can you imagine what the guys at school must think? Being related to some of the most infamous wizarding families is bad enough, but when they find out she's about to marry into another one—they've gotta be spooked. I feel sorry for her."

Andromache drained the rest of her cup, wishing it was something stronger than Butterbeer. The euphoria from winning the match was already wearing off, and now all she wanted was a quiet place to collect her thoughts. She slowly made her way across the common room, being extra careful to avoid the gaze of anyone who would try to find out where she was going. Once she made it out into the hallway she headed in the direction of the Astronomy tower. She knew for a fact it would be deserted.  
As she entered the tower the first thing that caught her attention was the window on the wall opposite the door. She sat down on the ledge and stared out the glass, her eyes not really focusing on anything in particular. The only thing she did pay attention to was the fact that the moon was almost full. In fact, Remus would be making the familiar trip down to the Whomping Willow in less than a week. Andromache rolled her eyes in annoyance and buried her eyes in her hand. She didn't want to think about Remus' problems, she had enough of her own to deal with. Sometimes being friends with a werewolf was more than she'd bargained for.

All she wanted to do was cry, but it was as if her tear ducts were constipated. She would never forgive her parents for her making her as cold as a statue. The only things that really got her started were enough to make lesser men crack. It left her with few options if she wanted to expel frustration or despair, she usually fell back on the primal scream, but at the moment she was too tired to muster up the energy. What she really wanted to do was punch right through the wall, but she saw serious bruises in her future if she did that.

She was just considering heading down to the kitchens to grab some hot chocolate when the Astronomy tower door swung open. Her eyebrows elevated in surprise as Remus stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"What are you doing up here?" he asked her with a soft smile.

"I dunno," she said with a shrug. "I wasn't really in the partying mood I guess."

"And why's that?" he asked moving closer. Andromache sighed heavily. She didn't want to get into this with him. She was sick of people being sympathetic, and treating her like an in-patient at a depression clinic. She wanted someone to get angry at her, yell at her, and give her a reason to scream at the top of her lungs.

"I don't know," she said sharply. "I just wasn't. Is that such a crime?"

"No, I just wanted to know what was wrong. You've been acting strange lately," he said, looking at her in confusion. Andromache sighed and turned to look out the window. The evening was beautiful. She could see each star perfectly, as if she was sitting in a planetarium. And the moon… the moon was gorgeous. Its silver light fell on her face and made her hair shimmer, something that didn't go unnoticed by Remus. She was in her element during the night, just the opposite from him. Even her appearance made her seem like she was some sort of night goddess. Her hair was midnight black, and her eyes were a vibrant grey, shining just like the moon on a clear evening. And her skin was practically luminescent.

Remus, on the other hand, he was the day through and through. His hair was a dusky brown, and his eyes were ochre, golden just like the sun. He was tanner than Andromache too, granted, not when the full moon came around, but most of the time his skin had a nice bronze tone (as bronze as an Englishman's skin could be). He'd never noticed before, but it gave their relationship a romantic tint. He liked the literary element of it all.

"Andromache…" Remus said softly, taking another step toward her. "Why won't you talk to me? Not even me—anyone. We're all worried about you."

"I'm fine, all right?" Andromache said over her shoulder. "I wish everyone would just forget it." Remus shook his head.

"This is about your betrothal, isn't it?" Remus said, and Andromache tried not to visibly flinch. He knew her too well. "Andromache, please… talk to me."

"About what?" she snapped, standing up from the window ledge. She glared at him, and a small part of her was glad she finally had a person to vent her anger on. "About how poor little Andromache can't take the gossip anymore? About how she's been mulling over her betrothal for weeks? It's not news."

"It doesn't matter if I've heard it before," Remus countered, his voice teetering on the edge of a yell himself. "It's not good for you to keep your emotions all bottled up."

"That's the only way I know how to deal with things!" she yelled. "That's how I was raised!"

"No, this isn't your parents 'Dromache, this is you. You want to be like this," Remus countered.

"Is that what you really think?" she said, her hands on her hips. "That I like being a freak… like a Slytherin?"

"I'm not saying that…"

"Just leave me alone, Remus. I'm not in the mood." She turned to face the window, prepared to stare at it until Remus left the tower.

"What do you want from me?" he asked desperately, and she could hear the weariness in his voice. He was at the end of his tether, and he didn't know how to deal with her anymore.

"Yell at me!" she screamed, turning around to stare him in the eye. Remus started at her outburst. "Tell me I'm being an overdramatic thirteen year old! Tell me to get my act together and stop mulling on all my problems. I know you're mad at me, Remus! Act like it!" She slumped down as this last phrase left her and stared at the floor. She felt so tired she thought she might collapse.

"I can't," he said with an ironic chuckle. She looked up in surprise and watched him walking toward her slowly. "I'm not mad… why would you think that?" Andromache hung her head and pressed a hand to her eyes.

"I don't know," she said, her voice finally breaking with exhaustion and sadness. "I don't know what's going on with me anymore. I'm just… so tired Remus."

"Trust me, I understand," Remus assured her with a slight smile. Andromache chuckled under her breath.

"Of course you do," she said, and she looked up to see him standing only an inch or two away from her. The room was starting to feel too small, like the air was growing hotter and starting to cling to them. "You always understand me."

"And you always understood me," he replied, his voice low. One of his hands rested gently against her arm, but Andromache drew back and took a few steps away, only landing herself flush against one of the walls encasing the window. She was trapped.

"Still sore from Quidditch?" Remus asked, still getting closer to her.

"Y-yes, yes… that Bludger really did a number on me," she stuttered.

"You should go down to the Hospital Wing," Remus suggested, his voice heavy.

"It's not that bad." She looked at him with a half-smile, and the corners of his mouth twitched a bit at the sight. He leaned down toward her, his lips lightly grazing hers. The touch sent a tingling down Andromache's spine and despite herself she let him pry her lips apart and kiss her as he had that night in his dormitory. It was perfect for a second, but only for a second, because then Andromache's common sense kicked back in. Nothing good had come from their last kiss. Remus had forgotten about it, and he would forget about this too.

She felt tears stream down her face before she knew what hit her. Now she could cry, not before when she'd actually wanted to. She shook her head and pushed Remus away.

"No… I can't…" Remus stumbled back, looking shocked by his own actions. He couldn't believe he'd just kissed her again. "It's too much… it's just too much." She started to head for the door, but Remus grabbed her by the wrist.

"Andromache stop," he begged, "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. I—" Andromache shook her head as more tears leaked out of her eyes.

"Stop! Remus please, I can't do this anymore," Andromache pleaded, sounding completely broken. "I care too much." Remus just stood there, not knowing what to say. All he could do was watch her cry, he couldn't even comfort her like he normally would.

"Andromache I don't know what's going on," Remus explained, sounding just as hurt as he felt. "But I swear, I never meant to hurt you. This isn't me… you know me."

"It's the wolf… it's the wolf," Andromache cried, shaking her head bitterly. "Every full moon… it's always the same." Remus stopped dead. Her words splashed over him like a bucket of cold water. There was a pattern—he'd just never noticed it before. It was the full moon that made him act like a hormone driven lunatic. The wolf was obviously taping into his baser desires. It was trying to make him pursue Andromache. He didn't have time to mull on the specifics now, Andromache was still crying and he wanted to hear everything she had to say. He had to make things right again.

"Andromache, I swear, I didn't mean for any of this to happen," Remus said. "I don't know what's going on with the wolf… or me… but I'll figure it out. I don't want this to come between us."

"Sirius was right," Andromache whispered, more to herself than to Remus. "You don't want to be with me. It's just the wolf." Remus shook his head, but at the same time he knew he couldn't tell her the truth.

"Well, I wouldn't say that… per se…"

"Stop Remus!" Andromache ordered. He watched the tears stream down her face. They looked cold. "There's only one issue here. Is it you that wants me, or is it just the wolf?" She turned away and headed out of the tower before Remus even had a chance to blink.

* * *

Andromache stumbled back into Gryffindor tower, surprised that the party was still going strong. She desperately tried to wipe her eyes, but James and Sirius swooped down on her before she even had a chance to get her foot in the door.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, hugging his sister close to his chest. James ushered the siblings to an empty corner and made sure no one was around to overhear them.

"You were right," she said, trying to smile to downplay her disheveled appearance.

"Right about what?" Sirius asked, looking at her gravely.

"Remus," she replied, struggling to choke down tears, "you were right. He doesn't…" she stopped herself, not wanting to say the truth aloud. "Whatever… it's not important anymore. I'm going to bed." She broke away from her brother and raced to the spiral staircase that led to the girls' dormitories.

"Andromache wait!" Sirius shouted, but she didn't even look back as she sprinted to the solace of her own room.

"Padfoot, what the hell is going on?" James demanded, staring at Sirius in complete bewilderment.

"I think I know," Sirius said and he glared toward the portrait hole where Remus was entering. If he wasn't in such a blind rage he might have noticed Remus' downtrodden demeanor. He stormed over to his friend, with James trailing behind.

"Moony, can I have a word? Great, much obliged." He grabbed Remus by the arm and dragged him up to their dorm.

"Padfoot what the hell are you doing?" Remus demanded, trying to tear his arm free. Sirius ripped the door open and threw Remus inside.

"Let's talk, Moony," Sirius said, a malicious grin plastered on his face. It reminded Remus of the one Andromache had worn during their double date.

"Somehow, I don't get the feeling you're happy to see me," Remus said sarcastically.

"Cut the bullcrap," Sirius ordered. "What the hell happened between you and Andromache?" Remus tried not to slump over in defeat.

"Sirius, I really don't think that's any of your business," Remus said reasonably. As long as he stayed calm, there was a chance Sirius wouldn't go completely postal.

"Like hell!" Sirius shouted defiantly. "That's my sister you're treating like your own personal call girl!" Remus' face flushed indignantly. So much for not losing his cool.

"Don't talk about her like that," Remus warned.

"You're the one treating her like trash!" Sirius shouted back. "I know you kissed her Moony, don't try to lie to me."

"How the hell—"

"Prongs told me," Sirius said simply. "Lucky I still have one friend who isn't stabbing me in the back."

"How did you find out?" Remus demanded of James. He shrugged with a mischievous smile.

"Andromache," he replied. Remus rolled his eyes. Apparently, everyone was talking but the people who actually should be. But that was his own fault.

"Forget about that for now," Sirius said, directing all of their attention back to the reason he'd dragged Remus upstairs. "Right now I have a wolf to kill." Remus tried to ignore the attack, but it stung more than he wanted to admit.

"This isn't my fault!" Remus said defensively.

"Of course it is!" Sirius shouted. "You're the one who kissed her."

"It was… an accident," Remus said lamely, staring down at the ground. Sirius scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Don't hide behind that remorse bull," Sirius warned him. "If you really cared about 'Dromache you never would have done this. The Remus I know doesn't disregard people's feelings."

"Don't dare presume you know how I feel about 'Dromache," Remus said through gritted teeth, his eyes shining with fury. "And you're not in any position to talk about disregarding people's feelings. What about all the girls you snog and then forget about a second later?"

"I never said I was free from sin," Sirius replied coolly. "But that doesn't mean I want 'Dromache getting involved with someone like me."

"I'm not like you," Remus argued. Sirius cocked an eyebrow in challenge.

"Oh really? Snogging and forgetting about the person a second later?"

"I've been thinking about that kiss ever since it happened," Remus said sternly. He was determined to hold his ground against Sirius. He knew he wasn't as guilty as Sirius was making him seem. Yes, he'd screwed up, but he was only human. He was trying to find a solution, despite what Sirius thought.

"How 'bout thinking out loud? What about talking to Andromache and explaining what happened?" Sirius said, still as stubborn as ever. "She's a mess because of this, Remus. I've never seen anything like it." Remus just stood there. He didn't want to hear anymore, but Sirius pressed on. "You're killing her!"  
"I would never let things get that out of hand," Remus shot back. "I care about 'Dromache too much to—"

"What? Hurt her?" Sirius said caustically. "Too late jackass!" Remus' nostrils flared and his knuckles turned white from the pressure of keeping his hands clenched.

"Shut up Sirius!" Remus ordered, stunning the two other Marauders. Remus had never taken a tone like that with them, and he'd never looked as angry as he did at that moment. "You have no idea what you're talking about. How complicated it is for me and Andromache."

"Don't use your 'condition' as an excuse. In case you've forgotten, Andromache already knows you're a werewolf," Sirius snapped, not missing a beat.

"That's not the only problem," Remus countered, just as quick on his feet. "We both have baggage Sirius."

"You could have worked it out," Sirius reasoned. "You could've prevented all this from happening."

"What was I suppose to do? This was the only solution I could think of that wouldn't completely destroy everyone's friendship," Remus argued.

"You're a coward!" Sirius shouted. Remus tore at the inside of his cheek. Deep down he knew Sirius had a point, a big one. But still, commitment issues aside, he was really trying to protect Andromache from any more heartache. Obviously, he hadn't done such a good job of protecting anyone.

"I'm not a coward!" he shot back, glaring menacingly at his friend.

"You are a coward," Sirius persisted, "and because you had to be such an ass my sister is upstairs falling apart! So much for caring about her!"

"I love her!" Remus shouted. The room fell completely silent. Sirius and James stared at Remus in complete shock. Even he was surprised by his outburst. Yet it was true. He did love Andromache, he just had never been able to admit it to himself before.

"Well… er… that changes things," James said, trying to break the awkwardness of the moment.

"A bit," Sirius agreed with a nod. Remus looked at them sheepishly. "You're sure you didn't just say that to shut me up?"

"Sirius?" Remus said in exasperation.

"Right, I knew that," Sirius said.

"So… what happens now?" James asked, looking between his two friends in bewilderment.

"Good question," Sirius agreed.

"Help me!" Remus begged. "I can't do this. I need to talk to Andromache."

"No kidding," James snorted, both Sirius and Remus glared at him.

"Don't worry Moony," Sirius said, wrapping his arm around his friend's shoulders. Remus rolled his eyes. "You've come to the right man."

"I'm going to regret this," Remus sighed.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next day the first thing Remus did was break it off with Selene. It was only fair, considering he was in love with someone else. Unfortunately, she didn't take the news very well, and Remus ended up with a big pitcher of orange juice dumped on his head. The other Marauders found it rather amusing, and he noticed even Lily was snickering a bit, but he pressed blissfully on. He and Sirius had stayed up all night coming up with a game plan, and he had to admit, it was pretty brilliant. Sirius had come up with the big plan, but he'd paid attention to the details, his specialty.

The only dark spot in the day was that Andromache was avoiding him like the plague. Every time he tried to get near her she turned away, or became increasingly focused in the lecture. It was a bit daunting. He just hoped she would agree to meet him later.

Meanwhile, Andromache was feeling like something the cat dragged in. She'd spent half the night pouring her heart out to Lily, and the other half crying within the privacy of her four-poster. She couldn't believe Remus had managed to make her cry when her impending betrothal didn't even cause her to flinch anymore. She supposed that was just the way things were.

School had been unusually harrowing, and Andromache was glad to get back to Gryffindor tower to just lounge by the hearth with Lily and Hector. She had changed into street clothes and was staring into her tea mug as Lily and Hector joked about the raucous Charms class that day.

"Hey 'Dromache!" Sirius called, disturbing her calm. She turned around to stare at her brother, who was walking down the stairs and heading over to the couch.

"What's up Sirius?" Andromache asked, leaning her head against the back of the couch.

"Listen, I know you're not fond of the bloke at the moment, but Remus says he needs to talk to you," Sirius explained. Andromache rolled her eyes and tried to restrain her irritation.

"Sirius…"

"Come on, he says he needs help on some Astronomy paper or something," Sirius whined. "You know that's not my area of expertise."

"Fine," Andromache sighed, placing her mug on the coffee table. "Where is he?"

"Astronomy tower," Sirius said instantly and Andromache stared at him in disbelief.

"You're joking?"

"I'm telling you, the guy's mental," Sirius replied with a shrug. Andromache groaned as she pulled herself out of the couch. Once she disappeared Hector looked over at Sirius with a wink. Sirius nodded and turned to head back up to the dormitory. His part of the plan was complete. He just hoped Remus didn't screw up, considering he was the main attraction.

_"I don't want to have to kill you, Moony,"_ Sirius thought hopefully, crossing his fingers.

* * *

Andromache trudged up to the Astronomy tower, wishing someone besides her was good at Astronomy. She regretted her decision to meet with Remus the minute she'd stepped out of the portrait hole, but it was too late to go back now. She walked up to the tower door and pushed it open.

Her eyes bulged out of her head at the sight before her. No one was standing in the first story of the Astronomy tower, but there were candles everywhere, floating in mid-air. Andromache looked around in wonderment as she walked inside, spinning around to see the whole room. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. When she got to the stairs she gasped at the sight of a trail of red and white rose petals leading up the stairs. There was a card amidst the flowers, a white card with a black arrow pointing upwards. Andromache glanced ahead, but all she saw was more rose covered stairs, so she followed the spiral staircase leading up to the higher floors of the tower.

Andromache felt her stomach clenching nervously as she climbed higher and higher up the stairs, disturbing the rose petals with each footfall. Finally, there were no rooms left, and the only place left to go was the roof. Andromache furrowed her brow, but there was another card, this one told her to go outside. She climbed the ladder leading to the hatch in the roof, and pushed it open with ease. The wind tugged at her hair as she pulled herself out of the hatch, looking around for the person responsible for everything.

There were more candles , but these were placed at intervals on the tower's edge. There was a basket in the corner with a red rose on top, and Andromache noticed more rose petals were scattered over the ground.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come," Remus said sheepishly, and Andromache turned to see him standing there, looking at her with a smile. He looked amazing in just jeans and a thin long sleeve t-shirt. He had a jacket on as well, reminding Andromache that it was close to freezing outside, yet for some reason she didn't feel cold.

"What is all this?" Andromache asked in amazement, looking around her in absolute astonishment.

"My way of apologizing," Remus offered, his smile faltering a bit as he waited for her response.

"Nice apology," Andromache said with an ironic chuckle. "How did you—"

"Well, Sirius and the Marauders helped a bit," Remus admitted, only surprising Andromache more.

"Sirius…?"

"Yeah, he isn't plotting my death," Remus said teasingly. "I was a bit surprised, but I'm not about to question my good fortune."

"I wouldn't," Andromache agreed. Remus stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket and looked at Andromache apprehensively.

"So… I broke up with Selene today," he offered, not knowing what else to say.

"Yeah, I saw," Andromache told him, biting back a smile. "Sorry about your… hair." Remus grinned as a few chuckles escaped her.

"That's all right, you know, turns out orange juice isn't so bad for the follicles," he bantered.

"I'll remember that the next time I'm in the shower," Andromache said with a smirk.

"Andromache, listen, I really don't want to ruin our chat," Remus began, and Andromache's face fell. Here came the heavy stuff. "But we need to talk… about our kiss… the first one," he added as an afterthought and Andromache smiled. He took her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. "It wasn't fair for me to just pretend like it never happened. The truth is… I didn't want to forget about it." Andromache looked up at him as the wind tugged her hair across her eyes.

"You didn't?" Andromache said, her whole spirit soaring. "But I thought—"

"I was just confused… and as strange as it sounds, I was trying to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Andromache laughed.

"I'm just such a mess 'Dromache," Remus sighed, passing a hand across his eyes. "You deserve someone so much better than me. Someone who isn't going through all this." Andromache smiled at him adoringly and wrapped her hand tightly around his.

"Remus… there's no guy in this world who's better than you," she said softly, and he felt his cheeks burning crimson.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said, hoping to convey just how sorry he was through those words. They didn't feel strong enough. "The truth is…" He trailed off as he felt his nerves rising to his throat.

"What?" Andromache asked, looking at him curiously. Remus took a deep breath and stared at her with a dreamy smile. He could do this, he knew it, even if she didn't feel the same way. He had to tell her how he felt.

"Andromache… I love you," he said. Andromache gasped at his words and he saw her eyes glaze over. She couldn't believe he actually loved her. They'd gone from being in total denial of their feelings to admitting everything all at once. She felt she could do nothing but follow suit.

"I love you too, Remus," she told him, smiling giddily. Remus squeezed her hand tightly and his mouth spread into a beaming smile. Andromache grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down to her level, kissing him hard on the mouth. Remus' arms wrapped around her and her hand ran up to tangle in his hair. After a moment Remus pulled away, his lips ruddy from Andromache's lipstick.

"That felt… amazing," Remus said breathlessly. Andromache smiled up at him coquettishly. "You know what made it better?"

"What?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Not being driven by the wolf." Andromache smiled at him proudly and kissed his hand affectionately.

"Listen… as brilliant as the whole snogging thing is… I did pack a picnic," Remus said, gesturing over to the basket a few paces off.

"We did miss dinner," Andromache agreed as they headed over. Remus grinned and started to unpack the contents of the basket. Andromache laid out the blanket Remus had brought along, and soon they were sitting snuggled together, munching on the tasty treats Sirius had no doubt stolen for them from the kitchens.

"So… is this our first date?" Andromache asked, looking up at him contentedly.

"I suppose," Remus said, draping his arm over her shoulders. He played with the ends of her hair and kissed her forehead. He'd never felt so happy in his entire life.

"Aren't we supposed to ask each other questions about ourselves, or something?" Remus cocked an eyebrow.

"'Dromache… I don't know if you've noticed, but we've been friends for over five years," he told her.

"I know, but just for fun," she said, giving him a nudge. He rolled his eyes with an amused smirk. "So… where are you from?"

"A small mining village in Siberia," Remus replied, causing Andromache to chuckle.

"Is Siberia even inhabitable?" she teased.

"Actually, the environment's not as hostile as people think," Remus said. "What about you?"

"Born in jolly old England," Andromache replied.

"Ancient family ties?" Remus said mockingly. Andromache sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You don't want to know." Andromache sighed contentedly and snuggled closer into his side as the wind picked up. "So, if you have any deep dark secrets we should probably get those out now. It's not healthy for a couple to keep things from each other."

"Just one," Remus said, chewing thoughtfully on a piece of cold chicken. "I'm terrified of rubber ducks." Andromache laughed and he started chuckling as well.

"Bad childhood experience?"

"You could say that. So what about you?"

"I've never really been afraid of rubber ducks, but those toy boats…" Remus leaned down and kissed her gently, but he broke away from her before the kiss could get serious.

"Now, we're sure Sirius isn't going to kill me for this, right?"

"Remus!" Andromache exclaimed in good-nature, smiling all the while.

"Just checking…"


End file.
